A Sumter County man is the seventh person charged in an ongoing, multi-county insurance fraud investigation after authorities say he submitted falsified medical documents in an attempt to collect more than $17,000 in disability insurance benefits.
Lonnie Johnson Jr., 35, was charged Oct. 28 by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with two counts of forgery and two counts of presenting false claims for insurance payments. The charges follow the arrests of six women, including a Manning insurance agent accused of submitting fraudulent insurance applications.
According to arrest warrants, Johnson obtained a short-term disability insurance policy through Aflac on or about March 1, 2025, for injuries he reportedly sustained in an all-terrain vehicle incident in Clarendon County.
Investigators allege Johnson subsequently submitted two falsified physicians' statements from Midlands Ortho & Neurosurgery in support of insurance claims related to those injuries.
The first claim, submitted on or about May 23, 2025, included a statement that investigators determined had not been issued by the medical facility. According to the warrant, the physician's signature was forged, and Johnson allegedly attempted to obtain an undeserved financial benefit of more than $10,000.
A second claim, submitted on or about July 22, 2025, included another allegedly falsified physician's statement from the same facility. Investigators said the document was not issued by the medical provider and contained a forged signature. The second claim involved an attempted financial benefit of approximately $7,800.
Both incidents resulted in separate forgery and insurance fraud charges. According to the warrants, investigators relied on Aflac's electronic records and witness statements in establishing probable cause.
Johnson's arrest is the latest in an investigation that previously resulted in charges against five women Oct. 14 and a sixth woman Oct. 27.
Among those previously charged is Jeanette Nicole Weaver, 40, of Manning, an insurance producer who faces 14 counts of fraudulent insurance application by an agent.
According to warrants in Weaver's case, she allegedly submitted fraudulent applications for Aflac coverage using other individuals' identifying information, including Social Security numbers and account credentials. Investigators allege the applications contained false information and were submitted to obtain insurance coverage or compensation for which the applicants were not eligible.
Four other women from Florence, Sumter, Columbia and Lake City were charged Oct. 14 in connection with the investigation. Their alleged offenses involved fraudulent short-term disability claims, falsified medical records and forged documents.
Robin Latee Smith, 42, of Williamsburg County, was subsequently charged Oct. 27 with forgery and presenting a false insurance claim involving between $2,000 and $10,000.
The South Carolina Department of Insurance requested the SLED investigation, which remains ongoing.
Johnson was booked into the Clarendon County Detention Center. The South Carolina Department of Insurance will prosecute the case, according to SLED.
