North Carolina Man Charged with Insurance Fraud

North Carolina authorities have accused a Lincoln County man of filing a fake report of a stolen motorcycle and trailer to get money from an insurance company.

The Charlotte Observer reported that 38-year-old William Minford Chatham III of Vale is charged with felony insurance fraud. He is free on $5,000 bond.

Sheriff’s office investigators said Chatham filed a claim last October saying someone stole a trailer containing a Harley Davidson motorcycle from outside his home. Deputies said the trailer was valued at $2,748 and the motorcycle at $25,000.

According to the investigators, Shelby police learned earlier this month that the trailer and motorcycle were being kept in a storage facility there.

Deputies said an investigation led them to charge Chatham.