Scammer
Banned
Auburn - Video surveillance images led to the arrest of an Auburn man accused of pouring soda onto the floor of a convenience store so he could stage a slip and fall accident.
Charles Barnes Sr., 48, of State Street, was arrested on Oct. 20 on insurance fraud and falsifying business record charges. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison.
According to investigators from the New York State Insurance Department's Fraud Bureau, Barnes deliberately poured soda onto the floor in an Auburn Express Mart. The video shows Barnes lying on the floor until customers and store employees came to his aid.
Barnes then filed a claim with Express Mart's insurer in January saying he had sustained a back injury. He later withdrew the claim.