He claimed losses of $69,000 in 2 burglaries. Investigators say it was all fake

A Pasco man allegedly claimed his home was burglarized twice in four months in an attempt to collect more than $69,000 from insurance.

Manolo Carrillo, 35, reported on one occasion that someone stole his couch, love seat, washer and dryer, and bedroom furniture and mattresses — while he was sleeping.

He now is charged in Franklin County Superior Court with two counts of false claim or proof.

The case was filed in February by the Washington state Attorney General’s Office, representing the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

However, officials have been unable to serve Carrillo with a summons because he has moved from his Monterey Drive home. A $5,000 warrant was ordered March 20.

Court documents show that Pasco police responded to Carrillo’s home late April 23, 2016, for a domestic dispute.

No mention of burglary

Carrillo reported that a relative had taken his 6-year-old daughter and her belongings. An officer noted that the glass top for the kitchen table was broken, but there was no mention by Carrillo at the time of stolen property.

On June 16, 2016, Carrillo submitted a property loss claim to American Family Insurance for a total loss of $11,870 and a damage estimate of $1,900 for a window and door frame. That loss included $7,400 in cash, along with electronics, clothing, tools, jewelry and alcohol, documents said.

He then contacted an Allstate agent two weeks later and reported a total loss of about $43,000. The claim had a list of stolen or damaged items, including $8,400 in cash, along with $10,000 for bodily injury from slipping on broken glass.

He further told the agent that he came home from work that April night to find his home destroyed, and he fell backward on broken glass, hitting his head and hurting his back, court documents said.

Carrillo followed up with American Family, or AmFam, in early July 2016 to say he had discovered his house was double insured and wanted to withdraw his property loss claim in order to pursue it with Allstate.

Destruction like a ‘hurricane’

An Allstate investigator then met with Carrillo in July 2016.

The homeowner said his place looked like a “hurricane” after the burglary, and that all of the damaged or destroyed items on his claim list had since been thrown away, documents said. He also told the investigator that the receipts for his stolen goods also were taken in the burglary.

Carrillo’s relatives separately told the investigator that he damaged his own property and never owned the items he claimed as stolen.

When questioned under oath by the insurance company, Carrillo explained that he did not report the April burglary because he was more concerned with the whereabouts of his missing daughter, court documents said.

He further explained that he was several months behind on his mortgage, that he rarely used bank accounts and that he bought most things with cash, documents said.

No cooperation with insurer

The second burglary was reported Sept. 8, 2016, in an online claim with AmFam.

Carrillo reported the burglars broke in Aug. 25, 2016, and, in addition to his furniture and washer and dryer, took an iPhone and two dress shoes. The total loss on the claim was $14,240, which included $1,900 in cash and $5,000 in damage to the house, court documents said.

That claim subsequently was closed because of Carrillo’s lack of cooperation, documents said.

A detective for the state insurance commissioner was assigned to look into Carrillo the following summer and concluded the two claims were false.

That detective reportedly found Carrillo inflated his claim for the August 2016 burglary, telling Pasco police his loss was $9,740 less than what he told insurers.

This story was originally published March 31, 2019 at 9:46 AM.