Com. v. Gettel, R.

J. S58011/17
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION – SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
v. :
:
RUTH E. GETTEL, : No. 533 MDA 2017
:
Appellant :
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence, March 2, 2017,
in the Court of Common Pleas of Perry County
Criminal Division at No. CP-50-CR-0000413-2015
BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J., SHOGAN, J., AND FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.
MEMORANDUM BY FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.: FILED NOVEMBER 07, 2017
Ruth E. Gettel appeals from the March 2, 2017 aggregate judgment of
sentence of 1 to 12 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 9 months’
probation, imposed after a jury found her guilty of insurance fraud and false
reports to law enforcement authorities.1 After careful review, we affirm the
judgment of sentence.
The trial court summarized the relevant facts of this case as follows:
[On November 26, 2014, a]t approximately
3:40 a.m. [Pennsylvania State Police] Trooper
Sarah Rhinehart responded to a vehicle crash and
fire on Spinning Wheel Road in Watts Township.
Arriving on scene, Trooper Rhinehart observed a
sedan engulfed in flames. After running the
registration, Trooper Rhinehart was able to
determine the vehicle belonged to [a]ppellant. On
December 1, 201[4], Trooper Rhinehart got in touch
1 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 4117(a)(2) and 4906(b)(1), respectively.
J. S58011/17
with [a]ppellant and an interview was set for
December 5, 201[4]. Appellant informed
Trooper Rhinehart that the vehicle in question was
stolen and that she did not have any information
concerning what happened after it was parked.
Appellant later supplied Trooper Rhinehart with all of
her insurance information and then filed a claim with
Safe Auto, her insurance provider. In a subsequent
interview, held several months later, [a]ppellant
informed Trooper Rhinehart that she was not
completely honest in the first interview. Appellant
informed Trooper Rhinehart that she knew who took
the vehicle and the person’s name was Chad. When
Trooper Rhinehart called Stephanie Foster[,
appellant’s friend,] to get the contact information on
Chad, Stephanie informed the Trooper that the only
people at her residence that night w[ere] herself,
[a]ppellant, and her now ex-boyfriend.
Trooper Rhinehart eventually picked [a]ppellant up
on a warrant at Harrisburg Area Community College.
When [a]ppellant was picked up on the warrant, she
informed Trooper Rhinehart that the information
regarding Chad was not true.
Trial court opinion, 6/2/17 at 1-2 (citations to notes of testimony and
footnotes omitted).2
Appellant was subsequently charged with insurance fraud and false
reports to law enforcement authorities in connection with this incident. On
January 24, 2017, appellant proceeded to a jury trial and was found guilty of
all charges. As noted, appellant was sentenced to an aggregate term of 1 to
12 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 9 months’ probation, on
March 2, 2017. On March 6, 2017, appellant filed a post-sentence motion
2 We note that the trial court’s June 2, 2017 opinion does not contain
pagination; for the ease of our discussion, we have assigned each page a
corresponding number.
-2-
J. S58011/17
for reconsideration of her sentence, which was denied by the trial court on
March 17, 2017. This timely appeal followed.3
On appeal, appellant raises the following issues for our review:
I. Was the evidence concerning the charge of
Insurance Fraud insufficient as a matter of law
where the Commonwealth presented no
evidence of (1) [a]ppellant’s intent to defraud
the insurer OR (2) materiality of any false
statements?
II. Did the trial court abuse its discretion when
sentencing [a]ppellant to a term of
imprisonment after interpreting [a]ppellant’s
silence at sentencing as lack of remorse?
Appellant’s brief at 3-4.
We begin by addressing appellant’s claim that there was insufficient
evidence to sustain her conviction for insurance fraud because the
Commonwealth failed to prove she intended to defraud Safe Auto or made
any materially false statements. (Id. at 14, 16.) Preliminarily, we note that
appellant’s Rule 1925(b) statement fails to specify the elements of insurance
fraud that she believes the Commonwealth failed to prove. (See “Concise
Statement,” 4/27/17 at ¶ 1; certified record no. 33.) Accordingly, we could
find this claim waived. See Commonwealth v. Williams, 959 A.2d 1252,
3 On March 24, 2017, the trial court ordered appellant to file a concise
statement of errors complained of on appeal, in accordance with
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b), within 25 days. On April 26, 2017, the trial court granted
appellant’s request for an extension of time to file her Rule 1925(b)
statement. On April 27, 2017, appellant filed a timely Rule 1925(b)
statement. The trial court filed its Rule 1925(a) opinion on June 2, 2017.
-3-
J. S58011/17
1257–1258 (Pa.Super. 2008) (finding waiver of appellant’s sufficiency of
evidence claim where he failed to specify in his Rule 1925(b) statement the
elements of particular crime not proven by the Commonwealth).
Nonetheless, given the trial court’s examination of this issue in its opinion,
we elect to dispose of it on the merits.
In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence,
we must determine whether the evidence admitted
at trial and all reasonable inferences drawn
therefrom, viewed in the light most favorable to the
Commonwealth as verdict winner, is sufficient to
prove every element of the offense beyond a
reasonable doubt. As an appellate court, we may
not re-weigh the evidence and substitute our
judgment for that of the fact-finder. Any question of
doubt is for the fact-finder unless the evidence is so
weak and inconclusive that as a matter of law no
probability of fact can be drawn from the combined
circumstances.
Commonwealth v. Thomas, 988 A.2d 669, 670 (Pa.Super. 2009)
(citations omitted), appeal denied, 4 A.3d 1054 (Pa. 2010).
A person is guilty of insurance fraud when she:
knowingly and with the intent to defraud any insurer
or self-insured, presents or causes to be presented
to any insurer or self-insured any statement forming
a part of, or in support of, a claim that contains any
false, incomplete or misleading information
concerning any fact or thing material to the claim.
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4117(a)(2). A person acts “knowingly” when “[s]he is aware
that it is practically certain that h[er] conduct will cause such a result.”
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 302(b)(2)(ii). Likewise, a person acts “intentionally” when “it
is h[er] conscious object to engage in conduct of that nature or to cause
-4-
J. S58011/17
such a result.” Id. § 302(b)(1)(i). Lastly, Section 4117 defines the term
“statement,” in part, as “[a]ny oral or written presentation or other evidence
of loss, injury or expense, including, but not limited to, any notice,
statement, proof of loss, bill of lading, receipt for payment, invoice, account,
estimate of property damages, bill for services, . . . or computer-generated
documents.” 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4117(i).
Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the
Commonwealth, the verdict winner, we find that there was sufficient
evidence to support appellant’s conviction for insurance fraud. The evidence
introduced at trial established that appellant knowingly made three false
statements4 to Trooper Rhinehart during the course of her investigation into
appellant’s vehicle, which was found crashed into a tree and engulfed in
flames in the early morning hours of November 26, 2014. (Notes of
testimony, 1/24/17 at 32-33, 45, 55.) That same day, appellant submitted
an insurance claim with Safe Auto in the amount of $9,599 on the basis her
4 Specifically, on December 5, 2014, appellant informed Trooper Rhinehart
that her vehicle had been stolen after she had parked it outside her sister’s
house and that she was unaware of who had taken it. (Notes of testimony,
1/24/17 at 36-38.) During a subsequent interview several months later,
appellant informed Trooper Rhinehart that she had lied during their initial
discussion and that an individual named “Chad” who was staying with her
and Stephanie Foster that evening had taken it. (Id. at 47.) Foster,
however, testified at trial that the only people at her residence that evening
were herself, her then-boyfriend, Sean Painter, and appellant, and she did
not know the “Chad” appellant was referring to. (Id. at 93-95.) After
appellant was picked up on an outstanding warrant, she informed
Trooper Rhinehart that her statement regarding Chad was not true. (Id. at
60.)
-5-
J. S58011/17
vehicle was “stolen” and “subsequently burned as a result of an accident[,]”
knowing full well that this was untrue. (Id. at 42, 78, 86.) Thereafter, on
January 5, 2015, appellant submitted a notarized theft affidavit to Safe Auto.
(Id. at 84.) Carey Latsha, an investigator with Safe Auto, testified that
Safe Auto has not paid the claim. (Id. at 86, 89.)
Clearly, the requisite intent to commit insurance fraud may be inferred
from the surrounding circumstances; namely, appellant’s conduct during the
course of Trooper Rhinehart’s investigation and her submission of an
insurance claim based upon this fabricated narrative. See, e.g.,
Commonwealth v. Sanchez, 848 A.2d 977 (Pa.Super. 2004) (defendant
had intent to commit insurance fraud when he signed forms in support of a
claim even though he knew that the car in question was not insured at the
time of the accident). Moreover, although Section 4117 does not provide
guidance on the meaning of the word “material,” the statute does not
require an insuree to cause actual injury to the insurer. See
Commonwealth v. Pozza, 750 A.2d 889, 894 (Pa.Super. 2000) (stating,
“[i]n the [insurance fraud] statute there is no requirement that the
transference of the insurer’s property must take place before a crime occurs.
Rather, the mere submission of any false statement done knowingly and
with intent to defraud is sufficient to violate the statute.”). Based on the
foregoing, we find that appellant’s claim that there was sufficient evidence to
sustain her conviction for insurance fraud must fail.
-6-
J. S58011/17
We now turn to appellant’s claim that “the trial court abuse[d] its
discretion when sentencing [a]ppellant to a term of imprisonment after
interpreting [her] silence as a lack of remorse[.]” (Appellant’s brief at 4,
20.)
Our standard of review in assessing whether a trial court has erred in
fashioning a sentence is well settled.
Sentencing is a matter vested in the sound discretion
of the sentencing judge, and a sentence will not be
disturbed on appeal absent a manifest abuse of
discretion. In this context, an abuse of discretion is
not shown merely by an error in judgment. Rather,
[a]ppellant must establish, by reference to the
record, that the sentencing court ignored or
misapplied the law, exercised its judgment for
reasons of partiality, prejudice, bias or ill will, or
arrived at a manifestly unreasonable decision.
Commonwealth v. Zirkle, 107 A.3d 127, 132 (Pa.Super. 2014) (citation
omitted), appeal denied, 117 A.3d 297 (Pa. 2015).
Where an appellant challenges the discretionary aspects of her
sentence, as is the case here, the right to appellate review is not absolute.
See Commonwealth v. Allen, 24 A.3d 1058, 1064 (Pa.Super. 2011).
Rather, an appellant challenging the discretionary aspects of her sentence
must invoke this court’s jurisdiction by satisfying the following four-part
test:
(1) whether the appeal is timely; (2) whether
appellant preserved his issue; (3) whether
appellant’s brief includes a concise statement of the
reasons relied upon for allowance of appeal with
respect to the discretionary aspects of sentence; and
-7-
J. S58011/17
(4) whether the concise statement raises a
substantial question that the sentence is appropriate
under the sentencing code.
Commonwealth v. Carrillo-Diaz, 64 A.3d 722, 725 (Pa.Super. 2013)
(citations omitted).
Here, the record reveals that appellant filed a timely notice of appeal
on March 23, 2017. Appellant also preserved her discretionary aspects of
sentencing claim in her March 6, 2017 post-sentence motion. Contrary to
the Commonwealth’s contention, appellant included a statement in her brief
that comports with the requirements of Pa.R.A.P. 2119(f). (See appellant’s
brief at 10-13; Commonwealth’s brief at 6.) Accordingly, we must
determine whether appellant has raised a substantial question.
“The determination of what constitutes a substantial question must be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis.” Commonwealth v. Griffin, 65 A.3d
932, 935 (Pa.Super. 2013), appeal denied, 76 A.3d 538 (Pa. 2013)
(citation omitted). “A substantial question exists only when appellant
advances a colorable argument that the sentencing judge’s actions were
either: (1) inconsistent with a specific provision of the Sentencing Code; or
(2) contrary to the fundamental norms which underlie the sentencing
process.” Commonwealth v. Glass, 50 A.3d 720, 727 (Pa.Super. 2012),
appeal denied, 63 A.3d 774 (Pa. 2013) (citation omitted).
Relying, in part, on Commonwealth v. Bowen, 975 A.2d 1120(Pa.Super. 2009), appellant contends in her Rule 2119(f) statement that the
-8-
J. S58011/17
trial court sentenced her to imprisonment, in lieu of probation, after
impermissibly interpreting her silence during sentencing as a lack of
remorse. (Appellant’s brief at 11-13.) This court has long recognized that
“a claim that a sentence is excessive because the trial court relied on an
impermissible factor raises a substantial question.” Allen, 24 A.3d at 1064-
1065; see also Bowen, 975 A.2d at 1122 (defendant’s contention that his
sentence “was based on an unconstitutional factor . . . raises a substantial
question for our review”). Accordingly, we proceed to consider the merits of
appellant’s discretionary sentencing claim.
Herein, we find particularly instructive the Bowen decision upon which
appellant relies. Bowen involved a defendant who elected not to testify
during trial and continued to remain silent at sentencing. Id. at 1121. The
trial court imposed a standard-range sentence for simple assault and a
consecutive, aggravated-range sentence for terroristic threats. Id. As
justification for the aggravated-range sentence, the trial court cited
defendant’s poor employment history, long history of recidivism, the victim’s
emotional trauma, and his failure to show any remorse, even after the jury’s
decision. Id. at 1121–1122. On appeal, a panel of this court disapproved of
the trial court’s “consider[ation of the] defendant’s silence at sentencing as
indicative of his failure to take responsibility for the crimes of which he was
convicted.” Id. at 1121.
-9-
J. S58011/17
The Bowen court emphasized that although it is “appropriate for a
trial court to consider a defendant’s lack of remorse as a factor at
sentencing, provided that it is specifically considered in relation to protection
of the public, the gravity of the offense, and the defendant’s rehabilitative
needs[,]” a defendant’s silence “may not be the sole factor in determining
a defendant’s lack of remorse[.]” Id. at 1125, 1127 (emphasis added).
However, the Bowen court ultimately concluded that a remand for
resentencing was not necessary, given the trial court’s consideration of
multiple other factors in imposing an “individualized sentence.” Id. at 1127-
1128, citing Commonwealth v. P.L.S., 894 A.2d 120, 133 (Pa.Super.
2006) (finding that even if the trial court considered an inappropriate factor
at sentencing, “the court offered significant other support for sentencing in
excess of the guidelines in this case”), appeal denied, 906 A.2d 542 (Pa.
2006).
Instantly, the trial court sentenced appellant to an aggregate term of 1
to 12 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 9 months’ probation, which
was within the standard-range of the Sentencing Guidelines. Prior to
imposing sentence, the trial court made the following comments at the
March 2, 2017 sentencing hearing:
All right, [appellant], what I am going to tell
you about this case and what, I guess, bothered me
about it from your end is you had so many
opportunities to step in to [sic] this process.
Meanwhile, this investigation went on [for] months
and months and months, and the story changed. At
- 10 -
J. S58011/17
least what came out at trial, the story changed
multiple times. And at any point in there the
madness could have been stopped.
I say the madness. The whole story, the
continuing investigation, the story changing,
et cetera; at any point throughout that process, by
a dash of honesty, and that never happened.
I am also disappointed today that you had
nothing to say. No remorse, no apologies, you
name it.
Notes of testimony, 3/2/17 at 3-4 (emphasis added).
Like Bowen, the record reveals that the trial court did not rely solely
on appellant’s lack of remorse or silence in fashioning her sentence.
Additionally, the trial court was in possession of a presentence investigation
(“PSI”) report and clearly considered it. (See notes of testimony, 3/2/17 at
2; see also trial court opinion, 6/2/17 at 6.) Where the trial court has the
benefit of a PSI report, “we shall . . . presume that the sentencing judge was
aware of relevant information regarding the defendant’s character and
weighed those considerations along with mitigating statutory factors.”
Commonwealth v. Antidormi, 84 A.3d 736, 761 (Pa.Super. 2014)
(citation omitted), appeal denied, 95 A.3d 275 (Pa. 2014). And similar to
Bowen, although the trial court briefly expressed its disappointment that
appellant failed to apologize at sentencing, “[t]he record is unclear . . . as to
how much of a factor [a]ppellant’s silence was in the [trial] court’s finding of
- 11 -
J. S58011/17
lack of remorse.” Bowen, 975 A.2d at 1127.5 Accordingly, we conclude
that appellant’s challenge to the discretionary aspects of her sentence must
fail.
For all the foregoing reasons, we affirm appellant’s March 2, 2017
judgment of sentence.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 11/7/2017
5 Notably, the trial court stated in its June 2, 2017 opinion that appellant’s
silence and lack of remorse “had no influence on the sentence for which
[a]ppellant received.” (Trial court opinion, 6/2/17 at 6.)
- 12 -