FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Allison Dean Love

Columbia, S.C.  January 30, 2009 “ Three defendants convicted after staging auto wrecks in Colleton County brings the total to 19 individuals convicted since September of last year.

On Monday, January 26, 2009, defendant Sheneka Victoria Edwards, age 25, of 329 Gobbler Court, Walterboro, pled guilty to one count of the lesser-included offense of Presenting False Claims for Payment more than $1,000 but less than $5,000 before The Honorable Perry Buckner in Colleton County. Also on that date, Defendant Ashley Rochelle Edwards, age 22, of Walterboro pled guilty to three counts of the lesser-included offense of Presenting False Claims for Payment more than $1,000 but less than $5,000.  On Thursday, January 29, 2009, defendant Wanda Glover, age 35, of 8279 Ritter Road, Walterboro, pled guilty to two counts of the lesser-included offense of Presenting False Claims for Payment more than $1,000 but less than $5,000. All defendants were originally indicted with Presenting False Claims for Payment, $5,000 or more.

The facts are as follows:

On or about July 18, 2007, defendants Sheneka Edwards and Ashley Edwards presented or caused to be presented false claims for payment to State Farm Insurance Company totaling over $30,000. They reported that they were involved in a car accident after swerving to miss a wild hog on Augusta Highway in Walterboro, but investigation revealed the wreck was staged. Judge Buckner sentenced both to three years imprisonment suspended with five years probation. Sheneka Edwards was ordered to pay restitution of $12,500 to State Farm and $692 to Colleton County Fire-Rescue. Ashley Edwards was ordered to pay restitution of $8,000 to State Farm, $692 to Colleton County Fire-Rescue, and $115 to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Neither defendant had a prior criminal record. Two co-defendants in this case pled guilty previously.

On or about April 13, 2006, Defendant Ashley Edwards also presented or caused to be presented false claims for payment to State Farm Insurance Company totaling approximately $20,000. She said that she was involved in a car accident after being run off McCloud Road in Walterboro and into a tree by an unknown vehicle. However, investigation revealed that the wreck was staged. Judge Buckner sentenced her to three years imprisonment suspended with five years probation on this count and ordered her to pay restitution of $9,106 to State Farm and $133 to the Department of Health and Human Services. Two co-defendants in this case pled guilty previously.

On or about October 22, 2006, Defendant Ashley Edwards also presented or caused to be presented false claims for payment to Travelers Insurance Company totaling over $13,000. She said that she was involved in a car accident after an unknown vehicle side-swiped and caused them to run off Benton Farm Road in Walterboro. However, investigation revealed the wreck was staged. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment suspended with five years probation on this count and ordered to pay restitution of $4,176 to Travelers and 146 to the Department of Health and Human Services. All her sentences were concurrent.

On or about March 29, 2005, Defendant Wanda Glover presented or caused to be presented false claims for payment to Safe Auto Insurance Company totaling over $10,000. She reported she was involved in a car accident after an unknown vehicle ran her and a previous defendant off Cooks Hill Road in Walterboro causing their car to catch fire. However, investigation revealed that the wreck was staged and the fire was intentionally set. Judge Buckner sentenced her to three years imprisonment suspended with five years probation and ordered her to pay restitution of $1,680 to Safe Auto, $567 to Colleton County Fire-Rescue and $144 to the Department of Health and Human Services. She had a 1998 conviction for battery. Her co-defendant in this case pled guilty previously.

On or about April 26, 2007, Defendant Wanda Glover also presented or caused to be presented false claims for payment to Peak Property & Casualty Company. She said that she swerved to miss a deer and wrecked into a ditch in Walterboro, but investigation revealed the wreck was staged. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment suspended with five years probation on this count and ordered to pay restitution of $6,048 to Peak and $435 to Colleton County Fire-Rescue. Her sentences were concurrent.

These cases were investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the National Insurance Crime Bureau and prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

The South Carolina Insurance News Service reports a few interesting facts related to insurance fraud:

Insurance fraud costs nearly $120 billion a year, with healthcare fraud at $85 billion a year and property and casualty insurance fraud at $30 billion a year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Each year consumers spend about $300 per household just in additional insurance premiums, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau and about $1,000 in total increased insurance premiums, taxes and cost of goods and services according to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

There were 712 complaints of insurance fraud reported to the South Carolina Attorney General's Insurance Fraud Division in 2007. There were 94 criminal convictions and 72 civil remedies.

The total amount of insurance fraud reported to the South Carolina Attorney General's Insurance Fraud Division in 2007 was nearly $8.4 million.

Cases have come from all around the state of South Carolina and break down by region as follows:

Piedmont - 28% (115)

Low Country - 24.5% (100)

PeeØ Dee - 24.5% (100)

Midlands - 23% (95)

The South Carolina Insurance Fraud Hotline 1-888-95-FRAUD is available toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All reports remain confidential.