Seven indicted in Bibb car insurance racketeering, fraud case

Seven Bibb County residents were indicted Tuesday on allegations they violated Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act by conspiring to commit insurance fraud by staging a car crash to collect insurance money.

Haaruwn Prince, 25, Bryant Orlando Tanner, 46, Sherrod Hershel James, 23, Darnez Rashod Cotton, 23, Zanquanishia Floyd, 21, Demario Antron James, 24, and Sammy Lee Briggs Jr., 52, each are charged with violating the RICO Act and insurance fraud, according to the indictment, filed in Bibb County Superior Court.

According to the indictment:

Sept. 19, 2014, Prince rented a U-Haul truck, bought insurance for the rental and drove it with Cotton as his passenger.

Prince allegedly then staged an accident at the intersection of Pio Nono Lane and Winship Street where the U-Haul struck a 1994 Ford Aerostar van driven by Tanner.

Police were called and parties from the two vehicles claimed they didn't know each other.

Prince, Tanner, Sherrod James and Cotton claimed they were injured in the crash and filed insurance claims with Rep West Insurance.

A week later, on Sept. 26, 2014, Prince rented a 2001 GMC van from On The Move, located at Bass at Wesleyan Storage and bought insurance for the van.

He drove the van with Demario James as a passenger.

Prince allegedly staged another accident at the intersection of Vista Circle and Vineville Avenue where the van struck a 2011 Honda Accord driven by Floyd.

Police were called and again, parties in the two vehicles claimed they didn't know each other.

Prince, Floyd, Demario James and Briggs claimed they were injured in the crash and filed insurance claims with State Farm Insurance. Floyd received a $1,434.71 payment.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter @awomackmacon.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Seven indicted in Bibb car insurance racketeering, fraud case."