Police say that fight is finally paying off, and they expect people who have been breaking the law to stop or at least think twice. An auto insurance task force has charged a Methuen woman with insurance fraud, saying she used a phony New Hampshire address to save money. Investigators say they are poised to move against dozens of other residents who appear to be breaking the same law.

The insurance company investigating an accident claim filed by Candice Lebron says it learned nobody lived in an apartment in Somersworth, N.H., that had a front door without a knob.

Lebron, 23, of 7 Charles St., Methuen, had a legitimate accident on North Broadway in October, police said. But Methuen police, working with Lawrence's auto insurance fraud task force, obtained a criminal complaint against Lebron last week, charging her with auto insurance fraud for using the fake New Hampshire address. She will receive a summons to appear in Lawrence District Court for arraignment.

The case brings the number of people charged so far to 185 since the task force began its crackdown on auto insurance fraud in the fall of 2003. Lawrence police Chief John Romero said, "This (Lebron) case has tremendous significance."

"This is the first time an individual has been charged with fraud in connection with an accident that wasn't staged or exaggerated," he said. "In essence, we're telling people anybody who registers in New Hampshire and actually resides in Massachusetts is rolling the dice here. You'll get charged with fraud if you file a claim based on a fraudulent address."

Methuen police Chief Joseph Solomon hailed the case as the beginning of a new era in his department's fight against so-called "rate jumpers" - local car owners who register out-of-state to avoid paying higher insurance premiums, sales and excise taxes.

"It's over," Solomon said of the incentive for Methuen residents to register their cars in New Hampshire. "People are just going to say this isn't worth it and change their cars over to Massachusetts if they reside here."

Solomon said his department is already tracking between 60 and 100 vehicles with New Hampshire tags that appear to be owned by Methuen residents.

"We look forward to working with Lawrence on all of these cases, and the insurance companies are going to help out too as they refer them to the fraud bureau," Solomon said. "So, we're expecting the amount of investigations are going to increase considerably."

Romero said this development should make people think twice before breaking the insurance rules.

"This is going to send a very scary message to everybody who is insuring their car in New Hampshire or somewhere in Massachusetts in an effort to avoid legitimate insurance payments or excise tax that it's a felony charge if we catch you," Romero said. "Thousands of people in Massachusetts have been getting away with this. But we're going to give them something to think about."

Solomon said Methuen police are committed to charging people who break the rules.

"We're glad Lawrence has chosen to lead this fight, and we're happy to join them in it," he said. "Up until the time the Insurance Fraud Bureau started working in Lawrence, we couldn't get cooperation from insurance companies or anybody on these cases."

The insurance crackdown was spurred by the death of a 65-year-old Lawrence great-grandmother in a staged crash, investigators said.

Solomon said he is in the process of assigning a Methuen officer to work with the auto fraud task force, which currently involves a team of investigators from the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts working with Lawrence police detectives and prosecutors from the district attorney's office.

The unit also has been working with the state attorney general's office and auto fraud investigators from insurance companies doing business in Lawrence.

Lawrence and Methuen police collaborated in another rate jumping case several months ago, but that one involved a car crash that was staged.

In the most recent case, the Progressive Insurance Co. of Bedford, N.H., reported Lebron's phony registration to the fraud bureau after an investigator confirmed the address she claimed was phony.

Romero said Lebron insisted that she slept in the Somersworth apartment even after being confronted by the insurance company investigator who verified she never lived there. Progressive denied Lebron's accident claim.