North Vancouver, British Columbia – A B.C. man has been fined $2,000 and ordered to pay over $18,000 in restitution after his bragging on Facebook earned him charges of fraud and obstruction of justice.
Corbin Joseph of Williams Lake had rolled his vehicle on a rural road near Springhouse. Three other people were in the vehicle at the time, but no one suffered serious injuries. At the time, Joseph was prohibited from driving. To collect insurance on the vehicle, which was a total loss, he convinced a friend to tell the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) that she was the driver.
The story unravelled when ICBC’s special investigation unit found that Joseph was bragging on his Facebook page that he had rolled his truck after drinking at a New Year’s Eve party and subsequently received a payout of $18,350 from ICBC. When officers interviewed his friends, they admitted that Joseph drove to and from the party and had actually put the vehicle in the ditch twice that night. When he learned that officers were interviewing the woman who initially claimed she had been driving, he offered her money and legal assistance to stick to the original lie, but she refused and provided copies of these messages to the investigators.
In addition to the fine and restitution order, Joseph has also been handed a three-month conditional sentence and is on probation for six months.
Anyone with information regarding a suspicious, exaggerated or fraudulent claim is encouraged to call ICBC’s fraud tips line at 604-661-6844 or 1-800-661-6844. Callers can remain anonymous.
