A University Place man, Leandre Garner, has been charged by the attorney general's office with felony insurance fraud and second-degree attempted theft for filing a bogus claim with State Farm.
On Nov. 8, 2012, Garner got coverage online with the company for his 2007 Chrysler 300. Prior to that date, the vehicle was uninsured.
On Nov. 9, 2012, Garner said, he returned home from an appointment and discovered that his car had been hit by an unknown vehicle. The damage was estimated at $4,339. Garner filed a claim.
The problem: half a dozen people subsequently told investigators from State Farm and our Special Investigations Unit that Garner's car was damaged well before November. His ex-girlfriend said it happened around September, not November. A nearby tenant, an apartment office worker and an apartment groundskeeper also said the accident happened well before Nov. 8. So did the body shop that did the estimate.
Asked if he'd taken photos of the damage, Garner showed a State Farm investigator cell phone images he'd taken. He was surprised when the investigator pointed out that the metadata embedded in the images showed that they'd been taken Sept. 19, 2012.
When asked about this, Garner said that the must be a problem with the phone.
Arraignment is scheduled for Pierce County Superior Court on Sept. 24, 2013.
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