Steven M. Smith, 24, of Woodlake, Calif., was charged with six counts of felony insurance fraud for allegedly staging the theft of his 2000 Dodge Neon.
According to CDI investigators, Smith filed a claim with his insurance company, Permanent General Assurance, claiming his car was stolen from his home on July 23, 2001. An investigation by Permanent General discovered several inconsistencies with Smith’s statements as to how the theft occurred. Smith was confronted with the inconsistencies during an examination under oath, which resulted in his withdrawing his claim.
Smith reportedly confessed to CDI investigators that he staged the theft of his vehicle in order to file a false insurance claim. He admitted to hiring an individual to take his vehicle from a predetermined location and dispose of it.
According to Smith, the accomplice allegedly took the vehicle to an orchard near Woodlake and burned it beyond recognition on the night of July 23, 2001. Smith returned to his home in Madera and reported his vehicle stolen to the Madera Police Department.
Topics Auto
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Trump Demands $1 Billion From Harvard as Prolonged Standoff Appears to Deepen 
The $3 Trillion AI Data Center Build-Out Becomes All-Consuming for Debt Markets 
Florida Senate President Says No Major Insurance Changes This Year 
What Analysts Are Saying About the 2026 P/C Insurance Market From This Issue
