MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — A Long Island man who admitted to helping his father fake his own drowning at Jones Beach in a life insurance scam has been sentenced to a year in jail.
Roth, who has already served five months in jail since his arrest, apologized during his sentencing Tuesday, telling the judge, “What I did was wrong,” 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera reported.
“I think his father influenced him significantly to participate in that crime and he ultimately said, ‘Look, let me atone for that, let me accept responsibility,’ and that’s what he did,” defense attorney Joey Jackson said. “He’s apologetic for everything that’s occurred.”
Prosecutors said Roth and his father, Raymond Roth, conspired to collect more than $400,000 in life insurance money.
In July 2012, Jonathan Roth called 911 and reported his father missing in the waters off Jones Beach, triggering an intense air and water search that lasted several days and cost tens of thousands of dollars. While no one actually saw Raymond Roth swim away, he was initially presumed drowned.
“By helping his father in this scheme, Mr. Roth wasted the precious time and resources of first responders tasked with keeping thousands safe during the busy summer season,” Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. “As the result of his actions, innocent people could have lost their lives or sustained serious injury due to the greedy and deceitful actions of another.”
