Ellensburg Man Wanted For Insurance Fraud For Alleged Fake Fall At Supermarket
Police in Kittitas County are looking for a man wanted for allegedly attempting to commit insurance fraud by faking a fall at an Ellensburg supermarket.
The Ellensburg Daily Record says 47-year-old Nathan Christopher McCain of Ellensburg is facing charges of first-degree theft and three counts of making a false insurance claim in excess of $1,500.
A probable cause affidavit from the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner states McCain entered the Super 1 Foods in the 200 block of East Mountain View Avenue and was captured on video surveillance squirting liquid on the floor before leaning over to pick a gallon of milk and feigning the fall.
McCain reportedly told an employee at the store that he'd fallen and filled out a customer accident report.
Investigators say McCain claimed the fall delayed his employment at a contracting company by several weeks.
He allegedly asked for a total of $10,000 "or close to it" in compensation, including lost wages, medical bills in the amount of $2,398, and pain and suffering - despite X-rays showing McCain didn't have any visible injuries.
McCain also told authorities the contractor who'd recently hired him wanted nothing to do with the claim, which was submitted to North River Insurance Company.
A claims investigator with North River labeled McCain's petition as false after discovering he had not been hired by the contractor and reviewing the grocery store's surveillance footage.
McCain refused to provide a statement to claims investigators who reported that he “feigned confusion about the incident” prior to stating that he was seeking legal representation.
He failed to appear for a scheduled arraignment in Kittitas County Superior Court last Thursday (April 3) and Judge Chris Herion approved an arrest warrant in the amount of $10,000 for McCain.
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Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells