An insurance scheme gone awry has left two South Carolinians with blood on their hands after allegedly conducting an amputation on a third party with a rudimentary yard tool.
According to the federal indictment, Gerald B. Hardin, 34, and another, currently unnamed male, severed an acquaintance's hand with a pole saw (a compact chain saw attached to a pole, used to cut tree branches) in an attempt to collect benefits on three Accidental Death and Dismemberment policies, as well as the homeowner's insurance policy at the Sumter County, S.C. home where the incident occurred.
The name of the homeowner has not yet been released. What is known, however, is that the man who suffered the hackneyed amputation was later transported to a local hospital, where surgeons attempted—unsuccessfully—to reattach his hand.
So how much does a hand fetch these days, anyway? According to authorities, the three received a little more than $671,000 from the combined policies in this not-so-garden-variety accident. It remains unlikely that any of them will get to enjoy their respective “cut” of the ill-gotten gains.
Some time passed after the perpetration of the crime before the FBI received a tip about the alleged insurance-fraud scheme. Federal prosecutors report that Hardin and his accomplice sawed off the hand of the third party back in May 2008.
Following an investigation by the FBI, Hardin opted to turn himself in, later posting a $100,000 bond for release from a county detention center. He is charged with six crimes, including insurance fraud, for which he could spend 20 years in jail and pay as much as $250,000 in fines if found guilty. In addition, pending a conviction, the court could ask that Hardin pay restitution in the amount of the insurance payouts.
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