January 21, 2022
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Michael T. Kerwin, of Spokane, has been added to Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s insurance fraud most wanted after he failed to appear in Spokane County Superior Court to face two felony charges related to an auto insurance fraud investigation. A bench warrant for his arrest was issued on Dec. 22, 2021, and bail is set for $5,000.
Kerwin was charged in November 2021 with filing a false insurance claim and first-degree theft after an investigation by Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU). According to the investigation, Kerwin filed a claim with Sentry Insurance for damage to his 2005 Dodge Magnum caused by a tree falling on the car during a windstorm. Kerwin's claim stated the damage happened on Jan. 30, 2021, after he had reinstated his lapsed policy on Jan. 21. Sentry’s investigators found evidence the damage occurred on Jan. 13, while he was uninsured. The damage was estimated at $8,319 minus his $500 deductible.
Sentry denied the claim and referred the case to Kreidler's detectives.
If you have information that may lead to Kerwin’s arrest, please contact your local law enforcement agency or contact Kreidler's CIU.
Kreidler’s CIU investigates insurance fraud and works with the Washington State Patrol and state and local prosecutors on criminal cases. Insurance fraud costs the average family $400 to $700 per year in increased premiums. Insurance companies are required by law to report fraud to the commissioner.