Mother and Daughter Arrested in Louisiana for Insurance Fraud

The Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud/Auto Theft Unit announced that troopers arrested a mother and daughter from Shreveport, La., on Feb. 14 and charged them each with one count of insurance fraud. The arrest was the result of an investigation into an alleged fraudulent insurance claim referred to the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The charges stem from what the LSP says were false claims for hail damage on two separate vehicles registered to Mary J. Nelson.

According to the LSP, on March 23, 2010, Mary J. Nelson and her daughter Josette L. Nelson reported that their 1996 Pontiac Bonneville and 1999 GMC Sierra truck, both of which were registered to Mary Nelson, sustained hail damage during a recent storm. The claim was filed with their automobile insurer seeking compensation for damages.

An investigation concluded that both vehicles had not been damaged during a hail storm, according to the LSP. During an interview, the Nelson’s admitted to intentionally damaging both vehicles by striking them with rocks wrapped up in paper towels and later filing an insurance claim alleging the vehicles were damaged by hail.

Arrest warrants were obtained for Mary and Josette Nelson in Caddo Parish. As a result, the Nelson’s voluntary surrendered themselves to troopers at the Caddo Correctional Center where they were each arrested and booked on the charge of insurance fraud.

Source: Louisiana State Police