Rockwell man charged with staging fake auto accident to collect insurance money enters into plea agreement

OSAGE — A Rockwell  man charged with staging a fake auto accident in an attempt to collect insurance money has entered into a plea deal with prosecutors.

A criminal complaint accused 39-year-old Zachary Robbins and another individual of faking a motor vehicle collision in March 2019 at the intersection of Shadow Avenue and 450th Street in Mitchell County. Law enforcement says the two vehicles were intentionally crashed together with Robbins then setting his vehicle on fire, creating an explosion that destroyed the vehicle and everything inside. The complaint says Robbins lied to Mitchell County authorities about the accident and lied to an insurance company in an attempt to get a more than $70,000 payment.

Robbins was charged with: first-degree arson, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison; insurance fraud by presenting false information, a Class D felony; as well as making a false report of an indictable offense to a public entity, a serious misdemeanor.

Robbins’ trial was scheduled to start on January 14th, but he filed a written plea of guilty this week to one count of fraudulent submissions, a Class D felony. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a fully suspended sentence and payment of restitution.

Robbins is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13th in Mitchell County District Court.