‘Revenge’ lands man in prison
“This wasn’t a typical identity theft. He committed these crimes out of revenge, to get revenge on the victim.” — Montgomery County Prosecutor Evan Correia
NORRISTOWN >> In what police and prosecutors called a case of “revenge,” a man is headed to prison after he conspired to cancel the auto insurance of his exgirlfriend, an Abington woman with whom he was involved in a dispute.
Daniel Garvin, 45, of the 1200 block of Faunce Street, Philadelphia, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court this week to 16 to 42 months in a state correctional facility on charges of conspiracy to commit the crimes of identity theft, securing execution of documents by deception and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with incidents that occurred in June 2017.
Judge Richard P. Haaz also ordered Garvin to complete three years’ probation following parole, meaning Garvin will be under court supervision for about 6½ years. Garvin also must complete 150 hours of community service.
Assistant District Attorney Evan Correia argued for a lengthy state prison term against Garvin.
“This wasn’t a typical identity theft. He committed these crimes out of revenge, to get revenge on the victim,” Correia alleged.
In court documents, a detective alleged Garvin believed his ex-girlfriend had stolen from him and that “Daniel Garvin’s motive was simply revenge.”
Court papers indicate the victim’s auto insurance was cancelled just days before her car, a 2007 Acura TL, mysteriously was set ablaze as it was parked in Upper Dublin.
A jury convicted Garvin of the conspiracy-related charges during a trial last October, finding he conspired with his current girlfriend, Courtney Leigh Esposito, to cancel the vehicle insurance of his former girlfriend.
During the October trial, prosecutors alleged Esposito, 41, also of Philadelphia, was instructed by Garvin on June 4, 2017, to call Progressive Insurance to cancel the victim’s vehicle insurance. At trial, prosecutors alleged Garvin wanted to prevent his exgirlfriend from collecting insurance money for her vehicle after he set it ablaze and destroyed it on June 8.
However, the jury acquitted Garvin of charges of arson and risking a catastrophe, rejecting the prosecution’s theory that Garvin set the vehicle fire. The jury deliberated about five hours.
“We argued to the jury that he was the one who set the fire and he had Courtney Esposito call to cancel the car insurance prior to him doing that. However, the jury found him not guilty of setting the fire,” Correia explained.
Esposito previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy-related charges in connection with the cancellation of the victim’s auto insurance and is awaiting sentencing. Esposito was not charged with arson.
With her guilty plea, Esposito specifically admitted to making the call to Progressive Insurance and to posing as the victim in order to cancel the victim’s auto insurance and that she was at Garvin’s residence when she made the call.
The investigation began about 3:49 a.m. June 8, 2017, when Upper Dublin police were dispatched to a vehicle fire at the rear of a residence in the unit block of Ambler Road. In court documents, Upper Dublin Detective Michael B. Lebby alleged the Acura TL was “fully engulfed in flames” and that the “vehicle was purposefully set on fire.” Authorities determined the vehicle was registered to an Abington woman and was insured by Progressive Insurance.
Insurance company representatives subsequently informed detectives that the policy for the vehicle was cancelled via a phone call on June 4. Detectives soon learned that the policy was fraudulently cancelled and they traced the phone call to Esposito’s cellphone, according to the arrest affidavit.
Furthermore, detectives alleged cellphone data records indicated the phone call was placed in the vicinity of Garvin’s residence.
“The investigation revealed that Courtney Esposito was dating Daniel Garvin at the time (the victim’s) insurance was cancelled,” Lebby alleged in the arrest affidavit. “Daniel Garvin was the only individual who would have had knowledge concerning (the victim’s) vehicle and the insurance company she utilized to insure her vehicle.”
Detectives also uncovered an incriminating text message Garvin sent to a relative of the victim in which he claimed his exgirlfriend did not benefit his life in any way and that he’ll “have the last laugh,” according to the arrest affidavit.
As the jury deliberated his fate during the October trial, Garvin, who was free on bail at that time, left the courthouse and didn’t return to hear the verdict on Oct. 30, according to prosecutors. Authorities apprehended Garvin on Nov. 9 and he was held without bail since that time while awaiting his sentencing hearing.
“Daniel Garvin was the only individual who would have had knowledge concerning (the victim’s) vehicle and the insurance company she utilized to insure her vehicle.” — Upper Dublin Detective Michael B. Lebby