North Carolina Woman Arrested, Charged with Insurance Fraud

A North Carolina Department of Insurance investigator arrested a Bessemer City woman and charged her with one count each of obtaining property by false pretenses and insurance fraud, according to Insurance Commissioner Jim Long.

Investigators allege that Sonya Laws Cole, 32, scanned and altered a certificate of homeowners insurance in order to qualify for a loan worth approximately $83,000 with First Bank. Upon receiving the alleged false documentation, First Bank suspected forgery and contacted the insurance company, North Carolina Farm Bureau, to verify the coverage. Farm Bureau in turn contacted the Department of Insurance’s Investigations Division.

Authorities processed Cole at the Gaston County jail and released her under a $5,000 unsecured bond, Long said.

Source: North Carolina Department of Insurance