CLARKSTON, Mich. – An Oakland County woman is facing fraud charges after she reported her car stolen and forged a title to hide that there was a lien on the vehicle in order to collect $42,000 from her insurance company, officials said.
Brittany Brown, 32, of Clarkston, is accused of filing a false insurance claim after reporting her car stolen in 2020. Authorities said she knowingly submitted a forged title to State Farm Insurance that concealed the lien on her vehicle.
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Brown is accused of claiming there was no lien and saying that she had installed wheelchair equipment on the vehicle, according to officials.
She received more than $42,000 from State Farm as a result of the claim, the company reports.
State officials worked with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to pursue the case against Brown and recover the money, they said.
“People who commit insurance fraud have a potential impact on all drivers in Michigan,” Nessel said. “My department is committed to pursuing these cases and holding accountable those who defraud the system.”
Brown is charged with false pretenses between $20,000 and $50,000, forgery of license documents/plates, and fraudulent acts.
The false pretenses charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, the forgery charge is punishable by 1-5 years in prison, and the fraudulent acts charge is punishable by up to four years in prison.
“Lying to an insurance company in order to receive more money for a claim than is warranted is a crime and can drive up insurance premiums for all Michiganders,” DIFS Director Anita Fox said.
Brown was arraigned Wednesday (Aug. 17) at 52-1 District Court and is being held on $5,000 cash bond.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for Aug. 26, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for Aug. 31.