Redding man charged with felony insurance fraud after Carr Fire claims

A Redding man surrendered to police Friday after being charged with nine counts of felony insurance fraud for vehicle claims related to the Carr Fire, according to the California Department of Insurance.

Stephen Cortopassi lost his house and four cars during the Carr Fire in Redding on July 27, 2018, according to a news release. Cortopassi was informed of the loss during the evacuation.

The next day, he purchased a new insurance policy for one of the cars and upgraded the policy on the other three cars from liability to comprehensive coverage. After waiting for weeks, he filed a claim with his insurance company saying that the vehicles were destroyed in August. The value of the cars was estimated to be $43,060.

Cortopassi, 64, also received $1 million after a claim on his properly insured house.

The insurer notified the Department of Insurance of a possible fraudulent claim and the investigation led to the charges. He is due back in court March 2.

“This alleged crime comes at the expense of wildfire survivors throughout the state,” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in the release. “My department has helped to obtain millions of dollars in legitimate claims for wildfire survivors and there is no place for those who want to cheat the system for a bigger payout than they are entitled to.”