Holly Springs man charged with faking lightning damage

Earl Harvey Scott, 40, of 105 Ployanthus Place, is charged with two counts each of insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense. He was being held Friday in the Wake County jail under a $20,000 secured bond.

Arrest warrants charge Scott with lying to his insurance companies to claim $33,971 in damages. He told adjusters that he heard a loud boom and then his plasma television, Blue-Ray DVD player and other high-end electronics stopped working, authorities said.

Investigators said Scott then made up work orders for a repair company that doesn't exist and used his own post office box to receive reimbursements on the bogus claims.