A Greensboro man is facing multiple felony charges after North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says he faked a towing invoice to inflate a car insurance claim. His name is Victor Deontray Bannerman, and he’s 43.
Bannerman was charged with insurance fraud, attempting to obtain property by false pretense, common law forgery, and common law uttering, all felonies. He was arrested on August 31, 2026, by the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office and was given no bond.
What He’s Accused Of
According to special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, Bannerman produced a forged invoice from Kirk Sineath Towing to support a fraudulent insurance claim on his own automobile policy with Erie Insurance Co.
The invoice he allegedly created showed an inflated towing charge of $1,581.06. That’s a pretty specific number, not a round figure, which suggests it was meant to look like a real, itemized bill rather than something thrown together carelessly.
How Far He Allegedly Took It
It wasn’t just the paperwork either. Investigators say Bannerman submitted the fake invoice as a supporting document for his claim, and then went a step further by speaking directly with the Erie adjuster handling the case, claiming the same false information was true.
That’s the part that turns this from a paperwork issue into an active fraud case, actively vouching for false information to an insurance company representative, rather than just submitting a document and hoping nobody looks too closely.
When It Happened
The alleged offenses occurred on June 11, 2026. Bannerman’s arrest came about two and a half months later, on August 31.
Not an Isolated Type of Case for the Department
This is one of several similar cases the NC Department of Insurance has announced recently. Cases involving inflated invoices, fake receipts, or forged supporting documents for claims tend to follow a similar pattern, someone submits paperwork that looks legitimate on its face, but doesn’t hold up once investigators check with the business the document supposedly came from.
Commissioner Causey has repeated a consistent message across these cases: fraud isn’t victimless, since it drives premiums up for everyone paying into the insurance system. He’s noted that roughly 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar goes toward covering the cost of fraud like this.
Where the Case Stands
Right now, the charges against Bannerman remain allegations, and he’s presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Given that he was arrested and given no bond, this case is likely to move through the court system relatively soon.
Anyone who suspects insurance fraud or other white-collar crime can report it anonymously to the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840, or toll free from anywhere in North Carolina at 888-680-7684.