Two men have been charged after trying to file a claim on a truck they had allegedly pushed into a marina.
Engelhard native Jahle Lamont Gibbs, 32, was charged with insurance fraud and attempting to obtain property by false pretense. Edward Poe, 29, and also from Engelhard, was charged with conspiracy, and aiding and abetting Gibbs. All of the charges are felonies.
When his Ford F-350 was found underwater at the Engelhard Wildlife Boat Ramp and Access Area, Gibbs informed his insurer Sentry Insurance that the vehicle had been stolen, an arrest warrant said. Poe also supported Gibb’s fraudulent claim to help him obtain a $12,458.48 insurance payout.
A release from the NC Department of Insurance said that the offenses occurred between August 30, 2020 and February 22, 2021.
Special agents from the NC Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, together with Hyde County deputies, arrested both Gibbs and Poe on February 22, 2021. They were released on $5,000 unsecured bond and are due to appear in Hyde County District Court on March 30.
“Insurance fraud hurts consumers; it costs North Carolina consumers nearly 20 cents on every dollar they pay in insurance premiums,” NC insurance commissioner Mike Causey said in a statement. “That’s why I’ve more than doubled the number of special agents to crack down on fraud and other types of white-collar crime.”
A release from the state insurance commissioner’s office said that its CID Special Agents have recovered nearly $12 million used in fraudulent activities over the past three years.
