HARRISBURG, PA — A York County man is facing multiple felony charges after investigators said he allegedly orchestrated a scheme involving scrapped vehicles and fraudulent insurance claims.
According to the Office of Attorney General, 30-year-old Taofiq Salami of York Haven is charged with insurance fraud, identity theft, forgery, title washing, and related offenses.
Investigators allege Salami purchased scrapped vehicles using false or stolen identities, insured the vehicles, and then reported accidents that did not occur to obtain insurance payouts totaling more than $180,000.
Authorities reported Salami allegedly attempted similar claims on additional occasions involving hundreds of thousands of dollars but did not receive those payouts.
According to investigators, Salami allegedly retained possession of the vehicles after receiving insurance payments and repeated the scheme multiple times.
Police said that in one alleged incident, Salami used a false identity to purchase a 2013 Jeep Cherokee and later reported a fabricated crash involving a 2019 Toyota Highlander, resulting in a payout of approximately $49,000.
Authorities reported Salami was arrested and arraigned Thursday after appearing in Bucks County court on an unrelated case. Bail was set at $400,000, with a hearing scheduled to determine the source of any bail funds.
According to investigators, the case remains ongoing and additional charges against other individuals are expected.
All suspects, arrestees, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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