93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been involved in a lengthy investigation into several current and former Columbia residents involved in a more than $1-million insurance fraud scheme. The scheme involved staged car crashes.
Federal prosecutors say two Columbia residents, 37-year-old Michael Stapleton and 37-year-old Latoya Brown, are heading to federal prison after being sentenced on Wednesday. Stapleton has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison, while Brown is sentenced to four years in prison. A federal judge has ordered Stapleton to pay $166,000 in restitution to victims, while Brown has been ordered to pay $72,000 in restitution.
The FBI says the conspiracy defrauded six insurance companies out of $1.2 million between 2017 and 2020. Federal prosecutors say Stapleton and Brown were caught during a lengthy FBI investigation into former Columbia resident Lawrence Lawhorn for numerous vehicle crashes across Missouri. Lawhorn is waiting for a federal sentencing date after pleading 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.
