17 Arrested in Carolina Auto Insurance Fraud; Alleged Ringleader at Large
South Carolina authorities have charged 17 people in what’s being called a major insurance fraud ring that staged vehicle collisions and filed false claims over a one-year period.
The alleged fraud took place from August 2020 through October 2021 and netted a total payout from insurers of $93,700, the South Carolina Department of Insurance reported Wednesday.
The alleged ringleader is Tyburious Marquis Heyward, who orchestrated some of the claims while he was in prison in the state until his release in April 2021, the DOI said. Heyward is the only member of the fraud ring that has yet to be apprehended.
The other 17 defendants have been charged with presenting false claims, sometimes using fake or altered medical documents and wage-loss records, authorities said.
The case will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Joshua Underwood, director of the Insurance Fraud Division at the DOI.