COLUMBIA, S.C. - Twelve Midlands residents have been charged with filing false claims to insurance companies, the State Law Enforcement Division said Monday.

The false claims totalled $80,000 and related to five staged incidents that occured between June 1997 and January 2002, SLED said. SLED conducted the investigation with the FBI and Farm Bureau insurance company investigators.

Seven Bamberg residents were charged with presenting a false claim for payment: Crystal Glover, 24; Michael Glover, 27; Robert Glover Sr., 52; Robert Glover Jr., 30; Evelyn Goolsby, 27; Vivian D. Mitchell, 22 and Wilmer Wright, 45.

Three Denmark residents face the same charge: Wade Chavis, 66; Danny Glover, 42 and Debra Glover, 42.

Heather Peel, 33, and Alfred Young, 29, both of Springfield, are also charged with presenting a false claim for payment.