2 Charged with Insurance Fraud Linked to Alleged Staged Crashes in North Dakota

June 12, 2019

In separate cases involving alleged staged accidents, two individuals have been charged in North Dakota with insurance fraud totaling nearly $29,000.

The North Dakota Department of Insurance reported that charges were filed against Scott Goebel of Fargo and Marcus Lavallie of Bismarck.

The insurance department said it received a tip in 2017 about Goebel. A subsequent investigation revealed that Goebel was allegedly causing accidents in the Fargo area from August 2016 through August 2018, totaling $22,985.

The department says evidence obtained showed that Goebel intentionally maneuvered his vehicle in a way that would not only cause an accident but also make it appear to be the fault of the other driver. He would then fail to disclose any prior vehicle damage to the insurance company to receive more money from the company than was owed.

Goebel is currently being prosecuted by the Cass County State’s Attorney’s Office.

A separate investigation into accidents involving Marcus Lavallie showed that from July 2018 through November 2018, Lavallie allegedly caused accidents in the Bismarck area in an attempt to perpetrate insurance fraud, totaling $5,652.

The evidence obtained showed that he would intentionally collide with another vehicle and make it look like the other vehicle was at fault, the department alleges. Lavallie also failed to disclose any prior vehicle damage to the insurance company to receive more money from the company than was owed.

He is currently being prosecuted by the department in partnership with the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Source: North Dakota Department of Insurance