Wilmington couple charged with lying about being hit by car

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man and woman have been arrested for insurance fraud after allegedly lying about their involvement in a traffic crash, the NC Department of Insurance says.

NCDOI investigators say Eric Apollo Best, 45, and Nicole Sharmell Johnson, 27, filed fraudulent bodily injury insurance claims with Travelers Insurance and Amica Mutual Insurance after witnessing a car accident in Wilmington on July 22. Investigators say they both sought medical treatment after claiming one of the cars hit them while they were walking on the sidewalk, but investigators say a joint investigation by DOI and Wilmington Police leads them to believe neither Best nor Johnson was hit.

WPD arrested Best and Johnson yesterday. They are each charged with two counts each of insurance fraud, attempting to obtain property by false pretense and felony conspiracy. They are out of jail on a $10,000 bond.