Insurance fraud charges on Tacoma man
Jul 5, 2016 - 03:25 PM
A two-vehicle accident in August 2013 involving a vehicle owned by a South Sound plumbing business is cited by authorities in issuing a no-bail bench warrant for David Arnold Cook, 51, of Tacoma.
He allegedly failed to appear in Pierce County Superior Court June 23 to face multiple felony charges for insurance fraud. According to the investigation, the driver of the commercial vehicle ran a red light and Cook collided with him. The accident victim then filed a claim for lost wages against the insurance carrier for the plumbing company, using falsified documents and information.
In a second case, Cook and Anthony Jamal Scott, 38, of Kent, were each charged in King County with criminal conspiracy, filing a false insurance claim and second-degree perjury. According to authorities, Cook collided with another vehicle in the parking lot of a Kent apartment complex where Scott resided. A witness and the at-fault driver reported Cook was alone in his car at the time of the collision, and they only saw Scott when he came out of his apartment.
Scott, who is Cook’s nephew, asked for an unspecified amount to pay for future medical treatment. GEICO, which provided insurance to Cook, referred the case to investigators at the state Insurance Commissioner office.
“This is a case of a repeat offender (Cook) who treats insurance policies like an ATM,” said OIC Mike Kreidler, in placing him on the agency’s most wanted list for insurance fraud.