LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a remarkable case of insurance fraud, three individuals in California have been sentenced for conspiring to submit fraudulent claims involving a person dressed in a bear costume damaging luxury cars.
The California Insurance Department disclosed that the group staged incidents in which a person in a bear suit allegedly mauled a Rolls-Royce and two Mercedes, intending to trick insurers into paying out nearly $142,000 in claims, dubbed “Operation Bear Claw.”
Two men from the Los Angeles area and a woman admitted to felony insurance fraud. They faced weekend jail sentences and probation, with two of them ordered to compensate at least $50,000 in restitution.
A fourth suspect is scheduled for a court hearing next month.
According to reports, the group provided video evidence of the alleged bear activity from the San Bernardino Mountains to support their claims, featuring supposed damages to the vehicles, which included scratches on the upholstery and doors.
However, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the video footage and concluded that it was evidently a human wearing a bear costume, confirming the fraudulent nature of the claims.
Detectives conducting a search warrant later uncovered the bear costume at the home of the suspects, further solidifying the case against them.
Bears have recently made headlines in California for causing disturbances as they rummaged through homes and trash cans in search of food, particularly in areas ranging from Lake Tahoe to the outskirts of Los Angeles.
