North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of Clayton Ryan Holmes, 45, of 602 Boyd Ave., Hamlet. Holmes is 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 Holmes of filing a claim on his homeowner’s policy with Erie Insurance for a Bobcat Skid Steer, stating he had obtained it from a deceased person. Agents determined the person Holmes was referring to was in fact alive, and denied giving the equipment to Holmes. The value of the item was $157,256.
According to the arrest warrant, the offense occurred on March 25, 2022.
Holmes was arrested on Jan. 30 and released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. He is set to appear in Richmond County District Court on Feb. 13.
Commissioner Causey encourages North Carolinians to help keep insurance premiums low by reporting suspicious fraud.
“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime,” Commissioner Causey said. “It hits all of us in the pocket through higher premiums.”
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.