Washington state regulators seek man facing felony insurance fraud charges

Vincent Labarbera, of Vancouver, Wash., has been added to Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s most wanted after he failed to appear in Clark County Superior Court to face felony charges of filing a false insurance claim and attempted first degree theft. Clark County issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Labarbera was charged after an investigation by Kreidler's criminal investigations unit, the insurance department said in a news release. According to CIU’s investigation, Labarbera’s 2019 Honda CBR500R was stolen from his residence in Vancouver. Labarbera had liability-only insurance on his motorcycle, so did not have coverage if the bike was stolen.

After the theft of his motorcycle, Labarbera went online and upgraded his policy by adding collision and comprehensive coverage, the release said.

He then filed a claim with Progressive and alleged that the motorcycle was stolen after he had modified his policy, investigators say. Progressive investigators were able to verify with Clark County Sheriff’s Office that the motorcycle was stolen 38 minutes prior to him changing his insurance coverage. Progressive denied his claim for $9,444 and referred the claim to CIU, as required by state law.

CIU investigates insurance fraud and works with the Washington State Patrol and state and local prosecutors on criminal cases. Insurance fraud costs the average family $400 to $700 per year in increased premiums. Insurance companies are required by law to report fraud to the commissioner.