ROCKINGHAM — A Moore County man is facing insurance fraud charges in Richmond County.
Investigators with the N.C. Department of Insurance say 65-year-old William Jefferey Barnhardt, of West End, presented false and altered documents in relation to two separate insurance claims filed on the same property in 2011 and 2012, receiving payment from Scottsdale Insurance Co. and the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co.
A warrant for Barnhardt’s arrest had not been filed at the Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office on Tuesday.
Barnhardt was arrested Monday and charged with two felony counts each of insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretenses. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 24.
Online records show Barnhardt has no other pending charges or criminal convictions in North Carolina.
Court documents show Barnhardt sued Scottsdale Insurance Co. in federal court for breach of contract, seeking recovery for damages to the U.S. 1 Speedway Food Mart.
Barnhardt owned the building but had leased it to Omar Houssein. Shortly after a fire, Hussein allegedly left the country, and gave Barnhardt written permission to handle any claims on his behalf.
Lawyers for the insurance company argued that Barnhardt could not “recover on his own behalf for damage to the building or any equipment because the policy did not name him as an insured.”
According to the office of the clerk of court of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, the case was closed Sept. 9, 2014 on a stipulation of dismissal.
The N.C. Department of Insurance employs 20 sworn state law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating and prosecuting claims of insurance and bail bonding fraud.
Since Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, a Richmond County native, took office in 2009, criminal investigators have made more than 1,500 arrests, resulting in more than 750 criminal convictions with more than 250 cases currently pending court, resulting in more than $72.1 million in restitution and recoveries for victims.
The department estimates 10 cents of every dollar paid in insurance premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. Anyone suspecting fraud is encouraged to contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.