Tuesday, April 7, 2026

The Sunshine Shoals Gazette

"All the News That's Fit to Regret"

Retired Con Artist Uses Elaborate Gator-Based Insurance Scam to Fund Boat Retirement

Local retiree Frank "Slippery" Henderson, 73, was caught staging elaborate alligator "accidents" to collect homeowners insurance payouts, using a trained 12-foot reptile and a carefully constructed network of swamp-adjacent properties. Investigators discovered Henderson had already collected $237,000 in fraudulent claims before his scheme was uncovered by a suspicious claims adjuster who noticed the gator was wearing what appeared to be designer sunglasses.