A Chattanooga businessman was arrested on Thursday and charged with insurance fraud after police said he requested his employee to steal his Harley Davidson motorcycle.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigation Division (CID) charged Clay Ledkins, 46, of Chattanooga, with a Class D felony, insurance fraud.
Ledkins is the owner of Clay Danger Karaoke in Chattanooga and the former owner of the Danger Zone Bar and Grill in South Pittsburg.
On June 16, 2009, Ledkins filed a fraudulent stolen vehicle report with the South Pittsburg Police Department on his 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle, authorities said.
Ledkins stated to the South Pittsburg Police Department that the motorcycle was taken from the Danger Zone Bar, located at 1475 Old Jasper Road in South Pittsburg. Ledkins then filed a fraudulent insurance claim with Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, it was stated.
Authorities said the investigation determined that Ledkins told his employee to steal his 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle so Ledkins could then collect the insurance money from Tennessee Farmer Mutual Insurance, where the motorcycle was insured.
Authorities said Ledkins communicated to his employee about his financial problems just before the alleged theft took place. The entire conversation was overheard by a patron of the establishment, and the patron also observed Ledkins give the employee a set of keys.
On Sept. 23, 2009, THP CID Special Agent Matthew Minter and the Marion County Sheriff Department investigators located the stolen motorcycle in an out building on Woodall Point Road in Marion County. The motorcycle had been dismantled.
“Dismantlement is a great indicator that the person is planning to sell the motorcycle part by part, hoping to elude the identity of the motorcycle,” stated Agent Minter.
He added, “The investigation was able to easily identify the parts of the dismantled motorcycle and verify that it was the stolen motorcycle belonging to Mr. Ledkins.”
Also charged in the case are Tim Champion, 26; Gino Martin, 43, and Nick Talley, 22, all of South Pittsburg.
Ledkins turned himself in on Thursday at the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Chattanooga Headquarters in Lookout Valley after a brief time eluding police.
Assisting in the case were THP Interdiction-Plus, Chattanooga Police Department Auto Theft Division and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.
Ledkins was booked in the Marion County Jail and has a first appearance scheduled for Feb. 10.