DUBOIS – A Clearfield man will stand trial for insurance fraud.
Tyler German, 25, was charged by an agent of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General with felony counts of false/fraud/incomplete insurance claim and criminal attempt/theft by deception in October.
The charges stem from an incident in March when German reported that he wrecked his all-terrain-vehicle less than a week after getting an insurance policy.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, German filed a claim regarding the accident with his insurance company on March 20, saying he had an accident with the vehicle on March 16. The repair estimate was for $6,550. German had just obtained the policy on March 14.
Photographs of the vehicle’s damage were sent to the insurance company. When they checked the metadata on these images, they discovered the pictures were allegedly taken on March 12, prior to German signing up for insurance.
In an interview with investigators, German said he purchased the ATV for $24,990 and wrecked it only a week later.
He reportedly said he panicked when he realized how much it would cost to fix it and went online to sign up for an insurance policy.
Although he filed a claim giving an inaccurate date of the accident, he later withdrew the claim and admitted it happened on March 12. He stated that he purchased the parts to repair the ATV for $1,800 and fixed it himself.
German waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday during centralized court, sending the case onto the court of common pleas. He is free on $5,000, unsecured bail.
