Man Accused of Severing Limbs For Fraud Due in Court

Gerald B. Hardin is scheduled to appear in federal court in Columbia. He faces six charges, including mail fraud for a 2008 incident in Sumter County where a man's hand was cut off with a pole saw.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A Cayce man is expected in court on federal fraud charges in a scheme authorities say includes severed limbs.
 
Gerald B. Hardin is scheduled to appear in federal court in Columbia on Tuesday. He faces six charges, including mail fraud for a 2008 incident in Sumter County where a man's hand was cut off with a pole saw.
 
Court records show Hardin has signed a deal to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He faces up to five years in prison.
 
Federal indictments say Hardin and another person used a saw to intentionally cut off the hand of a third person in an insurance fraud scheme. The indictment says the men submitted claims under a homeowner's insurance policy and three accidental death and dismemberment polices.