Jeremy Dennis
The Can-Am side-by-side that was recovered after allegedly being stolen. Photo courtesy of Coosa County Sheriff’s Office
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
A Mountain Brook man was arrested on fraud- and forgery-related charges on Tuesday after a months-long investigation stemming from January.
On January 26, Jeremy Brad Dennis reported that his 2025 Can-Am side-by-side had been stolen from Needle Eye Road in Equality. During the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office learned from Geico that there was a discrepancy with the vehicle identification number in the police report and what Geico had on file for insurance.
Later in the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office learned that Dennis had altered the VIN in the police incident and offense report. At that point, Agent Jason Freeman with the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office began assisting with the insurance fraud case.
On March 7, Dennis called the Sheriff’s Office and reported that he had found the stolen side-by-side and that everything was OK. He stated it was at his house in Mountain Brook.
Later that same day Agent Freeman went to Dennis’s Mountain Brook home and discovered that the side-by-side was not there as Dennis had claimed. Dennis then asked to speak to a lawyer.
Later that week, the lawyer reported the whereabouts of the side-by-side, and the Sheriff’s Office recovered it at a hunting camp in Union Springs. Law enforcement officers noticed that the VIN was scratched off.
On March 25, the investigation culminated in the arrest of 51-year-old Dennis of Mountain Brook. He was charged with first-degree insurance fraud, second-degree forgery for altering the police report and obscuring the identity of a vehicle.
His bond was set at $27,500, and he was released on bond the same day to await trial.
Anyone who suspects or observes illegal activity is encouraged to report it to the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office at 256-377-4922 or online at www.coosacountyso.org. Anonymous tips are also welcome.
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