Michigan couple charged with insurance fraud

An Erie couple who twice reported the theft of most of their belongings in a pair of burglaries at their eastside residence over the summer are accused by city police of making up the crimes in an effort to get cash from their insurance company. Michael E. Whitcomb, 23, and Elizabeth A. Whitcomb, 24, face charges of making false reports to police, criminal conspiracy, and two counts each of insurance fraud and theft by deception. They are accused of falsely reporting burglaries in the 800 block of East 23rd Street on June 7 and July 5 and seeking nearly $40,000 in insurance payouts, according to case documents filed by Erie police Lt. Dan Spizarny, an insurance fraud investigator.