DeKalb County body shop raided following fraud investigation

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County body shop owner is facing more than a dozen charges of fraud, theft and forgery.

Consumer investigator Jim Strickland was there as state agents posed as crash victims to help flush out 52-year-old Alfonzo McKeever, who is accused of defrauding insurance carrier Geico out of nearly $40,000.

"I'm told you've got a legacy of this kind of thing since 2009," Strickland said to McKeever during the arrest.

"Nah, nah. That's not true," he replied.

Investigators said fraud charges brought in DeKalb County seven years ago didn't stick. This time they investigated and gathered evidence over 10 months.

McKeever and others are accused of damaging cars on purpose to boost the insurance money.

One of the cars belonged to a police cadet. McKeever is accused of turning his minor ding into major damage.

"When we showed (the police recruit) the pictures of the vehicle that the adjuster took, he was like, 'No. It was a very minor damage and none of this damage was there when I dropped my vehicle off,'" Director of Fraud Investigations Sherry Mowell said.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said his agents face greater danger during operations like Thursday's because more violent criminals have discovered the loot and the lure of white-collar fraud.

"They find out that this is safer to defraud an insurance company, and they can net just as much money," Hudgens said.

Agents had been briefed that McKeever might turn violent during his arrest, but he was arrested without incident.

Cox Media Group