Two men were arrested and a warrant has been issued for a third in connection with an insurance fraud scheme involving the burning of a Porsche.
Both Gary Joseph LeBlanc, 49, of Robert, and Wesley Herndon, 28, of Pearl River County, Mississippi, were arrested on arson charges following an investigation into a sports car engulfed in flames found in a remote area near Franklinton, Louisiana.
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Authorities have also issued a warrant for the arrest of Neil Kelly of Folsom, who is suspected to have been involved in the scheme.
On September 19, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle fire off Westmoreland Road. The officer that arrived on scene to investigate found the remains of a burned 2006 Porsche, with the vehicle placed on concrete blocks and its wheels removed before being set on fire.
Sgt. Randy Reviere gathered evidence at the scene, which included the vehicle’s still-legible license plate and a pair of pliers that had a name written on one of the handles. Both pieces of evidence were used to solve the crime, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
An investigation spearheaded by Detective Kody Glenn determined that LeBlanc – who owned the Porsche – approached two of his employees and offered to pay them to take his car to make it seem like it was stolen. LeBlanc also ordered the two to burn the car, allowing him to collect a claim from his insurer.
LeBlanc’s employees agreed to the offer, taking his car from his business in Hammond and driving it all the way out to rural Washington Parish, where it was set alight.
According to authorities, LeBlanc turned to fraud because the Porsche suffered from water damage and he was unable to sell the car for its market value.
Glenn later discovered that Herndon was advertising the Porsche tires and rims for sale over on social media. This led him to the conclusion that LeBlanc had orchestrated the attempted fraud. Glenn also learned from an insurance company investigator that LeBlanc’s insurance claim was never paid.
On October 26, Herndon was arrested and booked for simple arson. He was released the same day after posting a $5,000 bond.
LeBlanc was arrested Wednesday, booked with arson with intent to fraud, The Times-Picayune reported. He was also released after posting a $10,000 bond.
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