Alleged Fraudulent Auto Insurance Claim Lands North Carolina Man in Jail

James David Hartsfield, from Raleigh, N.C., has been arrested on auto insurance fraud charges.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and criminal investigators allege that on Nov. 28, 2011, Hartsfield filed a fraudulent claim against his father’s State Farm Insurance policy for property damage and injuries caused by an auto accident. After paying Hartsfield $4,156, State Farm representatives contacted the policyholder to let him know the loss had been settled. When Hartsfield’s father denied knowing anything about the alleged auto accident, State Farm agents contacted the state insurance department, which opened a criminal investigation.

Hartsfield was arrested on April 25, processed in the Wake County jail, and placed under a $3,000 unsecured bond, according to officials.