North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced that Jackie Octavia Cozart, 31, of 504 Leach St., Biscoe, was charged with insurance fraud and attempting to obtain property by false pretense, both felonies.
Special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division accuse Cozart of falsely telling National General Insurance Co. that her vehicle was involved in a crash after she took out her insurance policy in an attempt to get the insurance company to pay for the vehicle damage.
According to the criminal summons, the accident occurred on Jan. 23 the day before she took out the policy on Jan. 24. She told the insurance company that the vehicle was struck on Jan. 27.
Cozart was served with a criminal summons on Feb. 21. She is due in Montgomery County District Court on March 7.
“Insurance fraud hits consumers in the wallet,” Commissioner Causey said. “Approximately 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar go to covering the cost of fraud. I’m fighting this by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting insurance fraud in North Carolina.”
If you suspect insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes, please report it. You may anonymously report fraud by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.