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Louisiana State Police arrested a Jonesboro Fire Chief and Jackson Parish sheriff’s deputy on insurance fraud charges after they allegedly falsified information in a crash report involving two Jonesboro Fire Department vehicles.

A Tuesday news release from LSP states that the LSP Insurance Fraud/Auto Theft Unit-Monroe Field Office received a complaint of a suspected fraudulent insurance claim from the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office in August 2021.

After their investigation, 37-year-old Brandon Brown and 58-year-old George Wyatt, both of Jonesboro, were arrested. At the time of this investigation, Brown was the Fire Chief for the city of Jonesboro and Wyatt was a Jackson Parish sheriff’s deputy.

LSP investigators determined that Brown and Wyatt falsified a crash report, which indicated Brown and Wyatt were the drivers of the two Jonesboro Fire Department vehicles involved in the accident. After interviewing several people, including Brown and Wyatt, investigators believe Brown’s juvenile son was actually driving one of the vehicles at the time of the crash. The fraudulent claim in question was for over $26,000.00.

Brown and Wyatt have been charged with insurance fraud, filing or maintaining false public records and malfeasance in office. They were both booked into the Jackson Parish Jail.

This investigation remains active and on-going, the release states.

For more information or to contact the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit, visit lsp.org/ifu.html.