Women Charged With Insurance Fraud After SUV Found in Mississippi River

April 8, 2025

On March 21, authorities in Vicksburg, Mississippi, received a 911 call about a stolen vehicle. Moments later, they had another call, about a partly submerged vehicle in the Mississippi River near a landing.

The submerged vehicle prompted a multi-agency response, according to local news reports. A nearby boat launched a skiff. A search by the sheriff’s office, fire-rescue crews and others found no one inside the black SUV or nearby, the Vicksburg Daily News reported.

It turns out that the water-logged Ford Expedition was the one reported stolen by its owner, Heather Kay McCoy, the newspaper reported. She was arrested April 1 and charged with insurance fraud. An alleged accomplice, Amber Spencer, also was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony.

Both women posted bail and this week were awaiting a grand jury’s review of the case. The Warren County Sheriff did not explain how investigators quickly determined that the submerged auto may have been part of an insurance fraud attempt.