Brownsville man charged with fraudulent insurance claim
A Brownsville man was charged by the state Office of the Attorney General Wednesday with insurance fraud after filing a claim for vehicle damage caused by a falling tree.
Blane Christian Johnson, 39, is charged with fraudulent insurance claim and criminal attempt to commit theft, both felonies.
According to court documents, a tree fell on Johnson’s 2004 Honda Accord October 21. His wife, Christina Johnson, called Progressive Insurance that day to add additional coverage. Blane Johnson filed a claim for about $3,500 after a $500 deductible November 13, saying the damage had just occurred due to weather.
A neighbor told investigators November 16 she remembered seeing the tree on the car about four weeks prior, sometime before Halloween, according to paperwork filed in the case.
Blane Johnson later admitted to investigators that he put a fraudulent date on the claim, saying he hoped the insurance company would cover the damages.
He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before Magisterial District Judge Mike Defino Jr. and released on a $7,500 unsecured bond.