Man said he lost $7,000 bracelet in crash, officials say. Then cops checked bank account [The Charlotte Observer]

A man accused of filing phony claims for a “lost” bracelet was charged after a peek at his bank statements, Georgia insurance officials say.

Warrants were issued Dec. 6 for the 41-year-old man from Cumming on charges of insurance fraud, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said in a Dec. 14 news release.

The charges come three years after investigators said he bought a “high-end gold bracelet” worth about $7,000.

In September 2020, he reportedly told police in San Diego, California, that his pricey jewelry was stolen in a robbery, King said. He filed a fake insurance claim in October 2020 to cover the cost of the gold bracelet, along with a second bracelet he said he bought in 2014 for $16,000, officials said.

In December 2020, investigators said the man was hospitalized after a car crash. He submitted another claim for both bracelets the following day, alleging that they were lost in the crash, according to the commissioner’s office.

“Along with bank statements and other information, our investigators determined that the suspect had previously returned the $7,062 bracelet and was fully refunded,” King said.

Investigators were still searching for the man as of Friday, Dec. 15.

Cumming is about 40 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.

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