Woman accused of trying to steal from company helping at-risk people

ATLANTA — An arrest warrant is out for a fraud suspect accused of trying to steal from a company that works with high risk and low income Georgians.

Donie Rodriguez, 50, faces fraud and forgery counts after submitting a bogus roofing invoice to her insurance company, officials said.

"The roofing company which allegedly did the work didn't exist, and the roof was never replaced," said Asst. Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence.

Paperwork obtained by Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Jim Strickland shows Rodriguez submitted an invoice of more than $4,800 for a roof replacement supposedly performed by Owens Roofing. The company address on the form is actually a townhome complex in NW Atlanta. The home's roof is clearly not new.

The insurance company involved says fraud costs everyone.

"The last thing our 30,000 policy holders need is to pay more for insurance, whether it's from a crooked roofer or a crooked policy holder," said Jim Beck of Georgia Underwriting Association. It serves at-risk policy holders traditional insurance refuses to cover.

"We're the safety net. We're like the soup kitchen. So frankly, when you steal from us, you're stealing from the soup kitchen," he said.

Rodriguez did not surrender as promised at the Fulton County Jail.

WSBTV