North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of Shantesha Peoples, 29, 209 Beech St., Greenville. Peoples is charged with insurance fraud and an attempt to obtain property by false pretense, both felonies.
Special agents with the N.C. Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division allege that on May 1, Peoples filed an automobile insurance claim with Nationwide claiming that she was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The investigation revealed that no collision occurred as one of the vehicles in the accident was not mechanically operable at the time of the reported accident. Peoples was attempting to collect insurance settlement for damages to her vehicle as part of the claim, which was also found to be fabricated.
Peoples received a $10,000 secured bond and was remanded to the Pitt County Detention Center.
“Insurance fraud hits consumers in the wallet,” Commissioner Causey said. “Approximately 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar goes to cover the cost of fraud. I’m fighting this by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting insurance fraud in North Carolina.”
If you suspect insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes, please report it. You may anonymously report fraud by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.
