A Charlotte man has run afoul of the law in a sting operation targeting roofing scams in Wake County. Robert Allen Bentley, a 36-year-old senior project manager from A&M Premier Roofing & Construction, found himself in handcuffs on December 10th, accused of trying to swindle an insurance company out of $30,000. As reported by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Bentley is up against a trio of felony charges, ranging from insurance fraud, to attempting to obtain property by false pretense, and conspiracy.
The allegations paint a picture of a premeditated scheme where Bentley, working in cahoots with a fellow employee, intentionally damaged a roof to mimic havoc supposedly wrought by wind and hail. This fabricated destruction was the linchpin in their plot to file a bogus insurance claim, aiming to bilk North Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Group for a hefty sum. According to arrest documents from the NCDOI, Commissioner Mike Causey stressed the seriousness of such fraud, adding, "Roof scammers should be on alert that our special agents as well as insurance companies are active in efforts to make a dent in this crime, which costs insurance companies and homeowners’ insurance premium payers alike."
This recent arrest is the fruit of a two-month investigation, that saw the Department's fraud investigators join hands with Farm Bureau's Special Investigations Unit. The sting utilized a “bait house” to snag deceitful employees red-handed as they damaged roofs to create unnecessary repair works, and consequently, fraudulent insurance claims. The North Carolina Farm Bureau, through its president Shawn Harding, recognized the detrimental impact of such crimes on customers by saying, "Insurance fraud harms Farm Bureau’s customers by raising premiums." Harding expressed gratification over the arrests and the collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Insurance to "prevent and deter fraud in the roofing industry."
The meticulous operation brought together an engineering expert, state-of-the-art surveillance tactics, and stalwart police work to assemble the case. The contribution of North Carolina Farm Bureau, material and strategic, was paramount to the sting operation's success. The Department encourages anyone suspecting insurance fraud or white-collar crimes to report it, reminding the public that they can do so anonymously by contacting the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division.
