CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A Charlotte man was arrested and charged Friday after falsely claiming his mother had died, according to the N.C. Department of Insurance.
Heritier Tungisa, 38, was given a $10,000 bond and charged with felony insurance fraud.
Special agents with the department’s criminal investigations division accused Tungisa of lying about his mom’s death, as he said she ‘died in a vehicle accident’ in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The offense occurred on July 20, 2021, and reports stated that Tungisa’s mother is still alive.
“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. “It hits all of us in the pocket through higher premiums.”
Causey is encouraging North Carolinians to help keep insurance premiums low by reporting suspicious frauds.
