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Sandra Yi ReportingJoe Christensen: "We all pay the price of people fraudulently filing insurance claims."
He never played a game in the NFL, as he claimed, but fraud investigators say he tried to put the moves on an insurance company. Fraud investigators say the man faked an injury, then tried to scam an insurance company out of a million dollars.
The suspect was in Salt Lake this morning, meeting with attorneys about his lawsuit. He had no idea he was about to be arrested for insurance fraud.
Juron Lionell Junior looked away as he got into a federal agent's car this morning, only saying, "I don't want to be on the news." He had just met with attorneys, in hopes of settling a lawsuit.
Joe Christensen, Utah Insurance Department, Fraud Division: "He intended to come and settle this claim today on the million dollar lawsuit, and hoped to come away with some money today."
Court documents show that two years ago, Junior claimed he was hit by an Ogden Publishing delivery truck, backing up outside the Layton Hills Mall.
Joe Christensen: "and the first thing out of his mouth was, 'Oh, you've ruined my NFL career'."
He filed a million dollar lawsuit against CNA insurance for damages and lost wages. Attorneys for CNA say Junior claimed to play on the XFL team, the Las Vegas Outlaws, and said he was number 28. But that wasn't him.
Court documents show Junior also claimed to play football for the "Seahawks" organization. He said he was "fielding offers from several European football teams."
Joe Christensen: "Specifically, one being the Switzerland Seaside Gladiators, which does not exist."
But investigators say the contracts and letters of intent were "bogus".
Joe Christensen: "He cut and pasted documents together to make it look like he has a career as a football player."
Investigators say it was an elaborate game plan, but there were a lot of holes. They say it's not clear if he was actually hit by the truck, and his football career ended at Weber State.
Joe Christensen: "He had high aspirations of making a lot of money off of this, but didn't put a lot of thought into the forging and misrepresentation that he had made, because it was too easy to verify."
Still, the crime could have affected all of us.
Joe Christenson: "When a claim like this is paid, it's going to increase the premiums for the rest of us."
Jeron Junior was convicted of theft and forgery last year and was on parole. He's been charged with insurance fraud, a second degree felony. Investigators are now looking for a second suspect who posed as Junior's agent.
