Six Years After Alleged Crime, Charles City Man Arrested for Insurance Fraud
Over six years after the alleged incidents, a North Iowa man has been charged with staging a fake auto accident to try and collect the insurance money.
According to criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau in March 2022, 39-year-old Zachary Robbins of Charles City, is charged with first-degree arson, a Class B felony; insurance fraud, a Class D felony; and false report of an indictable offense to a public entity, a serious misdemeanor.
Law enforcement says Robbins and an unnamed individual faked a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Shadow Avenue and 450th Street in Mitchell County on March 13, 2019. Investigators say two vehicles were deliberately crashed together and Robbins then set fire to his vehicle, causing an explosion that destroyed the vehicle and everything in it.
Court documents state Robbins lied to the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) about the fake accident and lied to an insurance company to try and get a more than $70,000 payment.
A warrant for Robbins’ arrest was issued two days after the criminal complaints were filed, and just over three years later, he was taken into custody by MCSO on April 4th.
Robbins posted bail of $2,500 the following day and he was released from the Mitchell County Jail.
No court dates are currently scheduled for Robbins in Mitchell County District Court.
