West Virginia’s Insurance Fraud Unit Making an Impact

Investigations completed by West Virginia Insurance Commission’s Fraud Unit resulted in the recent indictment of six individuals on 25 felony charges related to insurance fraud.

Meddie R. Dunlap, 56, of Alum Creek: indicted on one felony count of submitting a fraudulent insurance claim to an insurance company. Dunlap allegedly submitted an insurance claim for damages to a camper in September 2006 when those damages had previously been paid in June 2006 by another insurance carrier.

Dallas K. White Jr., 24, of Belle: indicted on one count of forgery of an insurance certificate. White allegedly presented a forged insurance certificate during a traffic stop by the City of Belle Police Department in June 2007.

William B. Deskins, 37, of Kermit: indicted on 17 felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud. Deskins allegedly continued to receive temporary disability payments while continuing to work.

Jodie E. Castle, 36, of South Charleston: indicted on one felony count of workers compensation health care fraud and one felony count of wrongfully seeking workers’ compensation. Castle allegedly visited various hospitals 63 times between 2004 and 2006, filing nine workers’ compensation claims listing an employer where he was not employed.

Lisa Ann Holcomb-Patterson, 41 of Dunbar: indicted on two felony counts of insurance fraud, two felony counts of uttering a forged document and one felony count of fraudulent schemes. Holcomb-Patterson allegedly received over $31,000 in disability benefits from forged medical documents.

Chalmer G. Elkins, 52, of West Hamlin: indicted on 14 felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud and one felony count of fraudulent schemes. Elkins allegedly provided a certificate of workers’ compensation coverage for a company that did not belong to him and for which he did not have authorization to use in order to obtain contracts on multiple construction jobs.

If convicted, each individual faces a one-to-10 year prison sentence and up to a $10,000 fine, or both, on each felony count. Arraignment dates have been set for each individual to enter pleas to the applicable charges.

Source: West Virginia Insurance Commission