A Columbia man who staged car crashes in mid-Missouri will spend the next 21 years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors say 37-year-old Lawrence Lawhorn operated a scheme to defraud insurance companies through the staged accidents and also fraudulently applied for COVID relief funds. A federal judge in Jefferson City has sentenced Lawhorn for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and for aggravated identity theft. Lawrence Lawhorn pleaded guilty in 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of aggravated identify theft.
There is no parole in the federal system, so Lawhorn will serve all 21 years. Federal judge Rosanne Ketchmark has also ordered Lawhorn to pay $187,000 in restitution. Federal prosecutors say Lawhorn also staged crashes in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas.
