A Burlington woman has been charged by the state insurance department with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of obtaining property by false pretense; all three charges are felonies.
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced the charges against Tammie Teresia Kelly, 57, of 1806 Cadiz Street in Burlington, on Thursday (March 4) following an investigation by the department.
According to Causey, special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) accuse Kelly of taking out an automobile insurance policy with National General Insurance Co. in her deceased sister’s name, filing a claim under that fraudulent policy and receiving money from the claim.
The offenses occurred between May 30, 2018, and June 3, 2020.
Kelly was served with a criminal summons on February 25, and she is due in Alamance County District Court on March 29, according to the department.
“Insurance fraud hurts consumers; it costs North Carolina consumers nearly 20 cents on every dollar they pay in insurance premiums,” Commissioner Causey said. “That’s why I’ve more than doubled the number of special agents to crack down on fraud and other types of white-collar crime.”
Over the past three years, CID Special Agents recovered nearly $12 million used in fraudulent activities. That money has been returned to consumers and insurance companies. The restitution also helps preserve insurance rates, according to Causey.
