Criminal investigations end in guilty pleas by Lonoke woman, Texarkana man

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr today released the following statement regarding two guilty pleas resulting from separate criminal investigations of insurance fraud by a Lonoke woman and Texarkana man:

“I wish to thank our Criminal Investigation Division for their hard word resulting in separate guilty pleas; one for using a fake insurance card to register a vehicle, and another for leaving a car in one state and claiming it was stolen when returning to Arkansas.  Insurance fraud leads to higher rates for everyone else, and the Arkansas Insurance Department is committed to fighting it on all fronts.”

On May 2, Becky Brand, 34, of Lonoke entered a guilty plea to one count of Criminal Attempt—a Class A Misdemeanor—for presenting a fake insurance card to the Arkansas Department of Motor Vehicles in order to register her vehicle last November.  She was sentenced to one year of probation, a $1,000 fine, and $345 in court costs.

In a separate case, 63-year-old Troy Ward of Texarkana entered a guilty plea on April 25 to one count of Theft of Property (C Felony).  In July 2014, Ward filed a police report claiming that his 2008 Cadillac Escalade had been stolen the day before.  Ward also filed an affidavit with his insurance company about the alleged theft, eventually receiving a payment of $14,035.13.  Ward’s vehicle was subsequently recovered from an impound lot in Wenden, Arizona by an Arizona State Trooper.  The owner of the lot said Ward left the car at the lot to be fixed, but never came back for it.

Ward was sentenced to five years of probation, a $1,500 fine, court costs, and ordered to pay restitution.