Братьев-кровельщиков осудили за мошенничество с подделкой страхового ущерба в Северной Каролине

Two brothers caught in a sting operation orchestrated by North Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance and state regulators have been sentenced to restitution and community service after pleading guilty to deliberately damaging roofs in North Carolina. Brett William Bentley, 28, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was ordered to pay some $27,678 in restitution to Farm Bureau, the NC Department of Insurance said in a bulletin. His brother, Robert Allen Bentley, 36, pleaded guilty to a felony charge. A judge in Wake County sentenced him to 24 months’ probation, 50 hours of community service, and a $50 fine. He could have faced as much as 63 months in prison, court records in Wake County show. Robert Bentley also is barred from working in the roofing business during his two-year probation. The brothers share an address in Charlotte and worked for A&M Premier Roofing & Construction. The sting operation came about after “door knocker” roofing companies last year told multiple homeowners in Wake County that the homes could gain new roofs with little or no out-of-pocket expense, those involved explained. Some of the roofers were reportedly seen damaging roof shingles to make it appear that wind or hail had caused the problem – just enough for the homeowner to file an insurance claim. Farm Bureau then approached the DOI about setting up a sting. The insurer, the second-largest property insurer in the state with some 500,000 policies in force, had access to a “bait house” in Raleigh. Within weeks, the sting operation was in business. Investigators with the DOI set up surveillance, ready to secretly video-record roofers inspecting shingles. Farm Bureau had engineering experts inspect the roof before and after the roofers went to work. One roofing contractor in Raleigh stood out and was filmed repeatedly bending the asphalt shingles, apparently to simulate wind uplift, and were seen hammering away on spots in order to claim hail indentations. The roofers reportedly were paid commissions for selling full roof replacements to homeowners, according to the felony information sheet filed in Wake County District Court. Robert Bentley presented an oral statement “as part of, in support of claim for payment pursuant to an insurance policy, home owner’s policy, knowing that the statement contained false, misleading information, by claiming to North Carolina Farm Bureau that the homeowner need(ed) roof replacement due to wind and hail damage, when they were the ones who created the damage to the roof by lifting and bending shingles back, breaking the seal and causing creases in the shingles,” the felony information explains. “Roofing scams are serious crimes, and I want to thank Farm Bureau for partnering with our special agents throughout this investigation,” NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said in a statement. The head of NC Farm Bureau’s special investigations unit, Heath McDonald, said Tuesday that he was not surprised by the sentencing, a penalty that some may consider to be light for the roofers. The crime was considered a low-level felony, prosecutors consulted with Farm Bureau on the plea agreement and sentencing recommendation, and the restitution was paid promptly upon sentencing, he explained. “The roofing industry as a whole seems to be very honest,” McDonald told Insurance Journal. “But there’s a small percentage of roofers who are not and they are costing homeowners and insurance companies a lot of money.” He praised the NCDOI investigations team for working diligently to set up the sting and to prosecute the roofers. It was the first sting operation in at least six years, McDonald said. He said Farm Bureau plans more in coming months, but, so far, the insurer has been unable to interest other carriers in assisting in stings. “We’ve tried to get other carriers involved, but haven’t had much luck,” he said. “I’m not saying they’re not planning it on their own, but no one has mentioned it to us. Hopefully they’ll get an appetite to continue this.” The president of A&M Premier Roofing said late last year that one of the brothers was an independent contractor who had left the company before the arrest was made. Del Scheitler noted that A&M’s independent contractor agreement outlines ethical conduct by contractors. “Our agreement states unequivocally that creating or manufacturing damage of any kind is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate termination of the contractor relationship. A&M Premier does not condone unethical practices under any circumstances, as they directly conflict with our training, standards of conduct, and company values,” Scheitler said. It was unclear if the video of the Carolina roofers was publicly available. Related: ‘Door Knocker’ Roofers Were Knocking. Farm Bureau Answered. Topics Agribusiness North Carolina