N.C. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Tuesday, Sept. 13 announced the arrest of Michael Kareem Hannon, 26, of 740 E. Howard St., Tryon in connection with a suspected insurance fraud scheme.
Michael Hannon was charged with 16 counts of insurance fraud, nine counts of obtaining property by false pretense, eight counts of attempting to obtain property by false pretense and one count each of felony conspiracy and continuing a criminal enterprise.

After a two-year investigation, N.C. Department of Insurance (NCDOI) criminal investigators said Hannon was the mastermind of a staged accident ring in and around Polk County that involved several of his family members and close acquaintances.
He is charged with filing false insurance claims with Progressive, GMAC, Allstate, Safeco, GEICO and Liberty Mutual insurance companies. The total estimated losses associated with the claims are in excess of $100,000, according to a NCDOI release.
With the assistance of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Landrum Police Department and Tryon Police Department, Hannon was arrested on Sept. 11 at an apartment complex in Tryon and is being held on a $100,000 secured bond.
Seven additional suspects in the case were arrested on Sept. 8:
• Ashley Leija Hannon, 25, of 406 Spindale St., Spindale, N.C.
• Janice Hannon, 56, of 209 N. Howard Ave., Landrum
• Julius Jamal Hannon, 34, of 586 Markham Road, Tryon
• Tyreke Hannon, 18, of 209 N. Howard Ave., Landrum
• Domonique Deshae Miller, 19, of 209 N. Howard Ave., Landrum
• Christopher Nesbitt, 23, of 108 W. Tucker St., Landrum
• Khadsha Webster, 17, of 209 N. Howard Ave., Landrum
Investigators continue to look for Randy Bashawn Littlejohn, 36, of 111 Gold Medallion Drive, Bostic, N.C. Littlejohn is the last of the known suspects being sought in association with the crime and is wanted on charges of insurance fraud, attempting to obtain to property by false pretense and felony conspiracy.
Anyone with information on Littlejohn’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Tryon Police Department at 828-859-9195 or the North Carolina Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840.