A Charlotte man is facing a felony charge after North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says he used a fake doctor’s note to try to get paid for missed workdays. His name is Henry Lee Clyburn Jr., and he’s 42.
Causey announced the charge on September 16, 2026. Clyburn faces felony insurance fraud along with a misdemeanor charge of common law uttering.
What He’s Accused Of
According to investigators with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, Clyburn submitted a false doctor’s note to Progressive Insurance Company. The note claimed a doctor had advised him to miss work because of injuries he suffered in a car accident.
The catch, according to the criminal summons, is that Clyburn never actually saw the doctor named on the note. He allegedly presented the fake documentation to Progressive purely to get reimbursed for the days he missed.
Timeline of the Case
The alleged offense happened on May 19, 2026. It took a few months for the case to work its way to charges, Clyburn was served with a criminal summons on September 14, and Commissioner Causey made the announcement public two days later.
Clyburn is scheduled to appear in Mecklenburg County District Court on October 9.
A Small Case That Still Adds Up
This kind of fraud might sound minor compared to some of the bigger multi-million dollar schemes that make headlines, but cases like this one happen constantly, and they’re part of why insurance costs what it does for everyone else. A single fake doctor’s note used to claim missed-work reimbursement doesn’t sound like much money on its own, but multiply that across enough people trying similar shortcuts, and it adds up to real cost for insurers, and eventually, policyholders.
Officials Respond
Commissioner Causey used the announcement to remind North Carolinians that reporting suspicious fraud helps keep insurance premiums lower for everyone. That’s a message his office repeats often, and it’s part of a broader, ongoing effort by the NC Department of Insurance to crack down on fraud cases across the state, from small individual claims like this one to larger organized schemes involving multiple people.
Where the Case Stands
Right now, the charge against Clyburn is just an allegation, and he’s presumed innocent unless the case is proven in court. His October court date should give a clearer picture of how the case moves forward from here.