Cass County resident charged with class B felony insurance fraud

Photo by: WDAY Radio Staff
Photo by: WDAY Radio Staff

(Cass County, ND) -- The Cass County State’s Attorney’s office, in conjunction with the North Dakota Insurance Department, have brought charges against a resident of Cass County for committing insurance fraud.

Officials say 58-year-old Paul Joseph Baumler is being charged with one count of committing a fraudulent insurance act, a class B felony. A class B felony carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $20,000.00 fine, or both.

Through an exhaustive investigation, the Casselton native filed 39 insurance claims through multiple insurance carriers involving ATV accidents. Investigators were able to identify 14 of the 39 claims to have evidence of material misrepresentation. The total claims payout was over $34,000.

The North Dakota Insurance Department has a Fraud Investigation Division that investigates claims of insurance fraud committed in North Dakota. Coordinating with local prosecutors, the Department can investigate and lead prosecution in insurance fraud cases.