North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced today the arrest of Demetra Bates Poag, 37, of 154 Charleys Creek Road, Tuckasegee, N.C. Poag is charged with insurance fraud, a felony.
According to special agents with the NC Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, Poag, a licensed insurance agent, claimed she was in a car accident on May 15, 2024 when the accident actually occurred on May 12, 2024, while she was uninsured. The amount of the claim was for $4,314.
Poag was served a criminal summons by Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies and released on a $15,000 secured bond. She is expected to appear in Jackson County District Court on Nov. 4, 2024.
“Insurance fraud hits consumers in the wallet,” 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.