New York Man Arrested for Staging Car Theft

New York police say an upstate man staging the theft of his car and filing a claim with his insurer for $22,000.

Authorities arrested Matthew L. Carpenter, of Clifton Park, after an investigation by the police department and the Insurance Department’s Frauds Bureau.

Investigators say Carpenter took his 2009 Jeep from a parking lot at DeNooyer Chevrolet in Colonie after it was repaired there following an accident — moving it without the car dealership’s knowledge and balking at the $3,700 repair bill.

He then parked the Jeep at Albany International Airport, claimed it was stolen and filed a claim with his insurer, Travelers.

An investigation was begun after the insurance company questioned the claim for which Carpenter was never paid.

He is charged with insurance fraud, falsely reporting an incident and making a false written statement. He was also charged with grand larceny for cashing an insurer’s $3,700 check that was intended to pay for repairs to the Jeep.

He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

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Source New York State Insurance Department