Man accused of falsifying details of insurance claim following crash in Charlotte County

A man is accused of insurance fraud in Charlotte County after the Florida Department of Financial Services says he falsified the details of an insurance claim following a vehicle crash.

According to court records, the investigation started with a complaint filed by the Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division stating that Richard Roy, 76, falsified the details of an insurance claim and received a payout from GEICO.

Records say on April 1, 2025 the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office reported that a black Buick was traveling southbound with no stop sign when another vehicle drove through the stop sign at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Conway Boulevard. The person in the Buick claimed that the vehicle that struck them was a white van.

On April 2, records say Roy made a first notice of loss to GEICO, stating that his 2018 Chrysler Pacifica van was parked and unoccupied when it was struck by a hit and run driver. Records say he reported damage to the right front of his vehicle.

On April 3, someone with the GEICO Investigations Unit conducted a recorded statement with Roy in his home, where he reportedly said that he wanted to change the facts of his story. Records say Roy told the investigator that after leaving a bar where he had two beers, he was turning onto Conway Boulevard when he hit the rear of another vehicle, a black Buick.

When the two people involved agreed to pull over and meet, Roy reportedly said he remembered that he did not have his driver's license on him so he drove away. Roy reportedly went ahead with his claim despite changing his story.

Records say a total of $1,359.73 was paid to Roy from GEICO.

Investigators say they spoke with the other person involved in the crash, the owner of the Buick. When Roy drove from the scene, she said she called 911 to report it. Records say law enforcement took a report. She said that she also posted a video of the incident to Facebook in an attempt to find the driver.

The Buick owner said Roy responded to her, telling her that he was the owner of the van that hit her. Records say he told her the same events that he told the investigator at his home. Records add that the Buick owner said she gave all of this information to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office and received no follow-up.

Court records say the Buick driver was not injured, but that her vehicle was. She reportedly said she did file a claim, but did not receive any payout and that her parents ended up paying for the damage to her vehicle.

When investigators with the Department of Financial Services spoke with Roy in February 2026, he reportedly told them he changed his story because he felt convicted and that a lot of people saw the picture of him on Facebook from the crash.

Records say he told investigators he repaired the damage done to his vehicle with funds from his insurance provider, and that his coverage was dropped following his claim.

A warrant was put out for Roy's arrest. On Saturday deputies from the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office went to his home and arrested him. Roy faces charges of insurance fraud of less than $20,000.

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