Five Arrested in Evangeline Parish Staged Crash
Today Louisiana State Police Detectives with the Insurance Fraud / Auto Theft Unit assigned to the Lafayette Field Office arrested five people for violations of Louisiana insurance fraud laws.
The initial investigation revealed in December 2015, a group of five people participated in a staged vehicle crash involving a passenger car and a rental vehicle near Ville Platte. The staged crash involved five adults and three children between the ages of 9 and 15. The goal of the staged crash was to generate fraudulent insurance claims for intentionally damaged property and fake bodily injuries.
At the conclusion of the investigation, State Police Detectives obtained arrest warrants on charges of insurance fraud, filing a false police report, and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. On July 23, 2018, State Police Detectives arrested the following suspects and booked them into the Evangeline Parish Jail:
- Winston Dupre (66 yoa from Pollock, LA) - Insurance Fraud, Filing False Public Records
- Sheba Williams (32 yoa from Opelousas, LA) - Insurance Fraud, Filing False Public Records and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile (2counts)
- Lucinda Williams (26 yoa from Ville Platte, LA) - Insurance Fraud
- Delores Bias (24 yoa from Eunice, LA) - Insurance Fraud
- Melanie Malveaux (36 yoa from Mamou, LA) - Insurance Fraud, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile
Anyone having information concerning persons staging vehicle crashes, or committing other forms of insurance fraud, should contact the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud / Auto Theft Unit at (225) 925-3701 or insurance.fraud.unit@dps.la.gov