North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced today the arrest of Sabrina Levonda Smallwood, 50, of 600 Middle St., Tarboro, NC. Smallwood was charged with two counts of insurance fraud and two counts of attempting to obtain property by false pretense. Each of the four charges are felonies.
Smallwood’s daughter, Alasa Millennium Johnson, 24, also of 600 Middle St., was previously charged by agents in March with the same four felony counts in connection with this case.
According to special agents with the NC Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, Smallwood provided duplicate claims to both State Farm and Geico which alleged that her car hit a deer, and that she and a passenger were injured. One of the claims switched the driver of the vehicle, which altered agents. Both of these claims both turned out to be fraudulent, agents said.
According to the arrest warrant, the offenses occurred on November 4, 2023.
Smallwood was arrested in Mecklenburg County, finger-printed and released from custody under a written promise to appear in Edgecombe County Court on May 30. Johnson was released on an unsecured bond of $7,500 on March 27.
“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime,” Commissioner Causey said. “Approximately 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar goes 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 or toll free from anywhere in North Carolina at 888-680-7684.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.