Auto Insurance Fraud
When a 65 year-old grandmother was killed in a “car crash for cash” scheme in Lawrence in 2003, clearly auto insurance fraud could no longer be called a “victimless crime.” D.A. Blodgett teamed up with the Insurance Fraud Bureau of 
Massachusetts and the Lawrence Police Department to form the Community Insurance Fraud Initiative. By the end of 2004, auto insurance fraud-related charges had been brought against nearly 100 people including lawyers, chiropractors and runners.
Calling it the first major success in fighting auto insurance fraud, the Insurance Fraud Bureau named D.A. Blodgett Fraud Fighter of the Year in 2004. Since then, the citizens of Lawrence have saved $40 million in reduced auto insurance premiums and the citizens of Lynn have saved $29 million. This approach has become a state and national model for fighting fraud.
Gangs and Guns
With firearms-related cases back-logged in Lynn District Court, perpetrators of gun violence were often on the street re-offending while their cases were pending. Understanding the link between illegal guns and gangs, D.A. Blodgett was determined to prosecute these cases within 120 days of arraignment in order to slow gang violence in Lynn. On February 1, 2006, after working with Chief Justice Lynda Connolly and others, D.A. Blodgett established the first district court session in the state dedicated to hearing gun charges. Within the year, the backlog of gun cases fell from 130 to 9.
Further, D.A. Blodgett collaborated with Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins to provide a series of trainings on gangs for police, schools, Department of Youth Services and others. The trainings offered information on identifying a gang member, gang behavior, symbols, and dealing with gangs in the community. In addition, information cards for parents on warning signs, developed by the Lynn Police Department, were translated into Spanish and Portuguese and distributed to schools and faith communities.
