MOUNT HOPE, WV (LOOTPRESS) — Two brothers are facing serious charges after they conspired to report a stolen UTV and claim insurance money for it.
On March 11, 2024, at around 12:43 PM, Sgt. S.M. Jasper of the Mount Hope Police Department responded to a call from the Fayette County E911 Center regarding a stolen UTV on Bailey Street in Mount Hope
Upon arrival, Sgt. Jasper spoke with Mr. Christopher Shane Franklin, who reported that his brother had left the keys in the UTV and had taken them from the specified address. Mr. Franklin requested a police report for his insurance claim. Police gathered the UTV’s information—a 2021 Polaris Ranger 1000—and reported it stolen in NCIC.
On March 13, 2024, Sgt. Jasper received a letter from Progressive Insurance regarding the stolen UTV. He contacted a claims agent to share my suspicion of fraud and continued the investigation. Later, police received another letter dated April 24, 2024, confirming that Mr. Franklin’s claim had been paid in full.
A few days later, the claims agent informed police that Mr. Franklin had reported the return of the UTV to his driveway. Sgt. Jasper visited the address to locate the UTV but could not find it, and he reported this to the claims agent.
During a routine patrol, a confidential informant informed police that Christopher Franklin mentioned the UTV at his brother’s house on Sand Branch Road, Raleigh County. Police contacted Corporal J. Hensley of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department to check David Scott Franklin’s residence.
After several attempts, Cpl. Hensley located the stolen UTV at David’s residence on May 2, 2024. The UTV was then towed to Glens Towing and held for Progressive Insurance.
Police informed the claims agent of the recovery, and the case was handed over to the SIU investigation team for a fraud claim. SIU Investigator Darren Talbert requested police assistance bringing charges against Mr. Christopher Franklin. Police interviewed both Christopher and David Franklin, and after their Miranda rights were read and they agreed to speak with me, they concluded that they were not being truthful and had conspired to commit insurance fraud.
These crimes occurred within the city limits of Mount Hope, Fayette County , West Virginia.
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