Social media saves the day, again! According to News9.com, Tim Barnum of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was criminally charged with False Claim for Insurance by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, after Farmers Insurance found a YouTube video of Barnum drag racing his 2015 Ford Mustang and crashing it at Thunder Valley Raceway.
The crash was originally reported as happening in Lexington, Oklahoma on August 15, 2015, as Barnum claimed he had a blowout while driving on Highway 77, hitting a center barrier and destroying the entire front end of his vehicle.
However, Barnum failed to mention that he was an avid drag racer, and also failed to mention how the accident actually happened. In turn, Farmers Insurance declared the vehicle a total loss, issued Barnum a check for $13,697.78, and $18,722.83 was issued to Tinker Federal Credit Union, the lien holder, in 2015.
Barnum nearly got away with insurance fraud. But fast forward almost a year and a half later, to Farmers Insurance discovering the YouTube video of the actual crash in January 2017. The Attorney General’s Office investigators interviewed the wrecker service, whose employee allegedly admitted to picking up the Ford Mustang at the crash scene, moving it to his pit area, and billing a “Garnum” instead of Barnum.
Upon confronting Barnum, he stated, “he didn’t tell Farmers Insurance he was racing his Mustang because they didn’t ask,” and “he’s been drag racing for years and has never had a claim.”
Barnum has since turned himself in to the Oklahoma County Jail and bonded out
See the full video here: