Cayce Man Charged in Gruesome Scam

Prosecutors allege man severed friend's hand for insurance claim.

A Cayce man has been indicted on multiple fraud charges after he and an accomplice cut off the hand of a friend as part of an alleged insurance fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Thursday. In a multi-count indictment, prosecutors allege that in May 2008, while living in Sumter, Gerald B. Hardin, 34, and another person used a "pole saw" to intentionally cut off the hand of a third participant in the alleged scheme.  A pole saw is a small chain saw that is attached to the end of a pole, and is used to trim tree branches.  The three participants then submitted claims against a homeowner’s insurance policy, and three accidental death and dismemberment policies, and received more than $671,000, according to the indictment. Neither …

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