Edgewood Man Charged With Insurance Fraud
Authorities have charged an Edgewood man with three counts of insurance fraud following a four-month investigation.
On Tuesday, officials issued a summons for 24-year-old Joseph Hansel to appear in Clayton County District Court. His trial date has not yet been determined.
Hansel is charged with two counts of insurance fraud - presenting false information and one count of insurance fraud - application submission.
According to court records, Hansel provided false information to an insurance company in an attempt to obtain automobile insurance coverage after his vehicle was involved in a collision in Edgewood in November 2020. Authorities allege that, during the claim process, Hansel lied to his insurance company about when the accident occurred and who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Officials accuse Hansel of submitting the false information to obtain insurance benefits that he was not entitled to receive.
The criminal complaints against Hansel were filed by the Iowa Insurance Division's Fraud Bureau, which began an investigation into Hansel's alleged illegal activity in Dec. 2020.