LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Following a six-month investigation, a former Indiana sheriff's deputy was arrested Tuesday on felony insurance fraud and forgery charges.
Indiana State Police began investigating James Gholson, 25, earlier this year for filing fraudulent insurance claims with his business' insurance and homeowners insurance.
In 2018, Gholson told the Jennings County Sherriff's Department that oxygen equipment had been stolen from his home, according to a news release.
Gholson, who owned an oxygen supply business, then filed insurance claims with his business insurance company and homeowners insurance. One of them paid him out more than $100,000 and another amount more than $87,000 on the same claim.
In April 2019, ISP said he claimed that equipment was stolen a second time, filing two insurance claims again. That time, he was paid $56,000 from one company and $10,000 from the other insurance company.
ISP discovered in their investigation that Gholson gave the insurance companies false invoices and created a fake police report.
In November 2019, police say he tried to file another claim that two lawnmowers had been stolen from his house, using a fake invoice, police report and a fake title this time. The insurance company denied that claim after uncovering the evidence of fraud, according to a news release.
Gholson served as a reserve deputy with the sheriff's office from November 2017 to February 2020. He then worked as a full time deputy but resigned when police began their investigation in June.
He is facing three counts of insurance fraud, two counts of official misconduct and two counts of forgery.
He was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Jennings County Jail.
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