An Oakland County woman charged with auto insurance fraud has been arraigned, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday.
Brittany Brown, 32, of Clarkston, was arraigned in Oakland County 52-1 District Court before Magistrate Andra Richardson on the following felonies:
• One count of false pretenses $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, punishable by 15 years and/or $15,000.
• One count license documents/plates- forgery, punishable by one to five years and/or $500-$5,000.
• One count insurance- fraudulent acts, punishable by four years and/or $50,000.
In 2020, after reporting that her vehicle had been stolen, Brown allegedly filed a false insurance claim with State Farm Insurance. Brown is accused of falsely stating that there was no lien on her vehicle and that she had installed wheelchair equipment on it. Additionally, Brown is accused of knowingly submitting a forged title to State Farm Insurance that concealed the lien.
Brown received more than $42,000 from State Farm Insurance on this fraudulent insurance claim.
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Fraud Investigation Unit (FIU) collaborated with the Department of Attorney General to pursue the case against Brown and recover the money she fraudulently received.
“People who commit insurance fraud have a potential impact on all drivers in Michigan,” said Nessel. “My department is committed to pursuing these cases and holding accountable those who defraud the system.”
“Lying to an insurance company in order to receive more money for a claim than is warranted is a crime and can drive up insurance premiums for all Michiganders,” said DIFS Director Anita Fox. “The DIFS Fraud Investigation Unit is committed to uncovering insurance fraud to protect Michigan consumers, and we urge individuals to report suspected fraud to our department by calling 877-999-6442 or visiting our website.”
Bond for Brown was set at $5,000 cash. A probable cause conference is scheduled for August 26 and a preliminary exam is scheduled for August 31 before Judge Robert Bondy.
The DIFS FIU investigates criminal and fraudulent activity related to the insurance and financial markets and DIFS works with the attorney general and other law enforcement to investigate these cases and refer them for prosecution. Suspected insurance fraud can be reported to DIFS safely, easily and, in most cases, anonymously by calling 877-999-6442 or online by visiting DIFS’ website at www.michigan.gov/difs/consumers/fraud/report-fraud.
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