Bakersfield Man Surrenders for Filing False Insurance Claims

David Kilgore, 46, of Bakersfield, Calif., has turned himself in to the Kern County Sheriffs Department on June 17 for allegedly faking the disappearance of his pickup truck and filing false insurance claims, the state Department of Insurance reported.

According to the DOI, Kilgore was charged with felony auto insurance fraud and was released on a $40,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on July 1, 2010.

The DOI said on Nov. 11, 2008, David Kilgore reported to the California Highway Patrol that his 2000 Dodge Ram was stolen from Bakersfield. On the same day, Kilgore filed a theft claim with Meritplan Insurance. On Dec. 10, 2008 Kilgore submitted a claim to his homeowners insurance company, Kemper (Unitrin) Insurance, for theft of personal property from the Dodge Ram.

In January 2009, a witness notified the CHP that the vehicle was not stolen and that it had been in Groveland, California since February 2008.

Kilgore allegedly presented a fraudulent insurance claim and provided false information in support of the insurance claim. He allegedly committed a felony punishable by incarceration of two, three, or five years and/or fine up to $50,000 or double the amount of the fraud.

The Kern County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case.

Source: CDI