CHARLESTON, WV -- West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline, announced today that a Kanawha County man, Meddie R. Dunlap, age 56 of Alum Creek, who was indicted on one felony count of "submitting a fraudulent insurance claim to an insurance company" plead guilty to a reduced charge of one misdemeanor count of insurance fraud on February 13, 2008 before The Honorable Jennifer Bailey Walker, Kanawha County Circuit Judge. Mr. Dunlap submitted an insurance claim to Erie Insurance Company for damages to a camper in September of 2006 when those damages had previously been paid in June of 2006 by another insurance carrier. Mr. Dunlap is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Walker on April 10, 2008.
Commissioner Cline stated, "The WV Offices of the Insurance Commissioner's Fraud Investigation Unit continues to investigate all types of suspected insurance fraud. The West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner's responsibility and legal mandate is to protect the citizens and businesses of West Virginia from individuals and entities committing insurance fraud against them. Once citizens and businesses recognize that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime, we believe there will be more of an effort and push to report suspected insurance fraud to our office for investigation".
While the insurance industry is legally required to report suspected fraud to the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner's Fraud Investigation Unit, all citizens and businesses are encouraged to report suspected insurance fraud by contacting the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner at 1-800-779-6853 or by logging on to their web site at http://www.wvinsurance.gov/ and clicking on the "Report Fraud" link.