Carolyn Davis, 70, made what might have seemed like a routine trip to the Bi-Lo supermarket in March of 2008. Upon leaving the store, however, Davis reported to the police that her car had gone missing from the parking lot.

Davis told police that it must have been stolen while she was shopping, after which she successfully filed a claim with State Farm Insurance for vehicle theft and received $5,225. The "stolen" 2000 Ford Explorer was found burning nearby just a short time after the report was made.

Police weren't willing to check out on this case, and obtained surveillance video of Davis being dropped off at the Bi-Lo by her co-defendant, Reuben Jones, who then drove away in her vehicle. When investigators presented Davis with the video, she confessed to conspiring with Jones to burn the Explorer and collect payment.

Though Davis originally pled guilty to filing a false claim on December 17, 2008, her sentencing was delayed pending the results of her co-defendant's case. Jones pled guilty to arson and presenting a false claim for payment over $5,000 on June 29, 2010. He has a hefty price to pay, with five years in jail, a $5,000 fine suspended to one year of incarceration, and five years probation plus $5,225 in restitution (to be paid jointly with Davis).

While most of us grab a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread when we head to the market, Davis managed to pick up five years and a $5,000 fine, plus three years probation, and $4,225 in restitution to State Farm Insurance. In this case one little fraudster has gone to market, but won't be going "whee" all the way home anytime soon.

Special Reports /

Fraud of the Week: Bi-Lo Pyro

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