Investigators say C.R. man's life insurance claims for 3 children were fraudulent

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man is accused of theft and insurance fraud after investigators said he submitted life insurance claims for three children whose deaths could not be substantiated.

Thompson Nagbe Jr., 37, made two fraudulent life insurance claims on policies he enrolled in through his employer, according to a Linn County criminal complaint.

Nagbe initiated a claim May 6, 2024, for death benefits for his daughter, Comfort Nagbe, who he said died in a motorcycle accident in Liberia, according to the fraud bureau of the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services. The $30,000 claim was approved and paid to Nagbe one month later.

Then, on June 10, 2025, Nagbe submitted claims for the deaths of his twin children, Gifty and Victor Nagbe, who — according to Nagbe — died in a motor vehicle accident.

An investigation determined those death claims were fraudulent, and death benefits were not paid, according to the criminal complaint.

A subsequent investigation concluded that Nagbe submitted fraudulent death certificates for all three children, and none of the deaths could be verified. Also, investigators said Nagbe made numerous inconsistent statements to a fraud investigator regarding the circumstances of the children's deaths.

Nagbe faces charges of first-degree theft, a Class C felony, and two counts of insurance fraud-presenting false information, Class D felonies. A $20,000 surety bond was posted Thursday for Nagbe's release from the Linn County Jail, according to court records.

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