California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner recently declared the arrest of Eric Joseph Horvat, for allegedly staging the theft of his pickup truck.
The release states that investigators found out that Horvat was looking for someone to help him stage the event because he no longer wanted the truck and needed his insurer to pay off the $45,000 balance he owed on it. He was charged with one felony count of insurance fraud and one felony count of perjury.
An undercover officer working on the case had several meetings with the accused and gave Horvat the $3,000 he requested for the right to "steal" the truck. According to the California Department of Insurance, A few days after turning the vehicle over the undercover officer, Horvat reported the customized 2006 Ford F-150 stolen to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and his insurer, who was already aware of the investigation.
He faces up to five years in state prison and up to $50,000 in fines, if convicted.
Interested in more fraud news and in-depth articles? Head over to Claims' fraud channel for more information.
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