Found Fudging Receipts

After surrendering to investigators last month, Victor Tafoya, 58, of Sacramento was arrested on one felony count of insurance fraud and one felony count of perjury.

In October 1998, Tafoya’s residence caught fire due to an improperly installed pellet stove. After the fire, he filed a claim for the loss. Tafoya’s insurance policy allowed for replacement coverage, but required that he pay for work done and then submit receipts for reimbursement.

According to investigators, an employee of the insurance company thought that a receipt may have been altered. As a result, the company that issued the receipt was contacted, uncovering that the amount on the receipt had, in fact, been changed. Further investigation revealed that Tafoya had allegedly altered nine receipts from companies who performed construction work on his home. The amount of the altered receipts totaled $17,050 to which Tafoya was not entitled.