North Carolina Chicken Farmer Charged with Insurance Claims Fraud

May 19, 2009

A North Carolina chicken farmer has been arrested for allegedly lying to his insurance company about how some of his chickens died and the theft of a “pooper scooper” and a fan.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin recently reported the arrest of Stanley J. Davis, Jr., of Woodland, on two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, two counts of insurance fraud and one count of attempting to obtain property by false pretenses.

According to the investigation, in September 2006, Davis, who owns two chicken farms, claimed to Farm Bureau Insurance that lightning struck a poultry house fan causing it to stop and about one-third of his chickens to suffocate. According to the arrest warrant, Davis was paid $2,700 for lost income by Farm Bureau.

But, investigators allege, a power outage actually caused the fan to go out and Davis’ policy did not cover that.

Then in November 2008, according to the warrant, Davis claimed a poultry “pooper scooper” was stolen from his farm and Farm Bureau paid $12,300 for the loss of the equipment.

However, investigators allege that the equipment never actually belonged to Davis and its rightful owner picked it up from his farm.

Allso in December 2008, Davis claimed eight fans were stolen from his chicken farm, according to officials. They said their Davis could not produce receipts for the equipment and Farm Bureau did not pay the claim. Davis was processed at the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office. He was released on a $5,000 secured bond.

Source: North Carolina Department of Insurance