Jan. 9—A 31-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder of a Broadway police officer stemming from Oct. 3, 2024 is facing three counts of insurance fraud and three counts of attempting to obtain property by false pretense.
Justin Blake Martin, who has addresses at 1041 Grameta Lane, southwest of Mamers, and 208 Hawk Road, southwest of Tramway, in court documents, was arrested Oct. 3 following a chase involving law enforcement officers.
Martin allegedly stole a 2019 Jeep Compass from Brandi Creador and fled from Harnett County Deputy I. Das and rammed the vehicle of Trooper Christopher McIntosh in a chase that began near Grameta Lane and Old 421. Martin also allegedly fired on Broadway Police officer Matthew Stone.
Martin is charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm into an occupied property, larceny of a vehicle, possession of stolen vehicle, breaking and entering and several charges of eluding.
In regard to those charges, he is being held on a $1 million bond in the Harnett County Jail.
Martin was issued a summons on Nov. 20, 2024, in relation to insurance fraud and attempting to obtain property by false pretense, and he was indicted on Dec. 2 in Lee County Superior Court.
In that case, Martin allegedly attempted to defraud Progressive, Geico and Farmers insurance companies in the amounts of $73,000, $68,000 and $25,000, respectively. According to a court document, Blake made false claims in relation to a boat fire with all three companies.
In regard to a felony eluding charge from April 9, 2024, Martin was issued a $250,000 secured bond on April 10 by district court Judge Jimmy Love Jr., but that was revoked and increased to $500,000 secured on Oct. 22, 2024 by district court Judge Joy A. Jones. Martin posted bond on April 10 when two other people named Martin paid $7,500 and promised to pay $12,500. In that case, Martin allegedly turned around at a checkpoint on Buie Road to elude Deputy I. Crum and drove recklessly at more than 15 mph over the speed limit, which resulted in a crash with property damage of more than $1,000, according to eCourts.
Martin also faces a charge of obtaining property by false pretense in Alamance County stemming from March 31, 2023. In that case, Martin allegedly defrauded Tyler Withrow in the sale of a 2019 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup by failing to satisfy a lien with Sharonview Federal Credit Union and deliver the vehicle. That case is being charged in Harnett County.
He has an arraignment on Jan. 27 in the insurance fraud case and a Feb. 15 disposition hearing in the latter case.
CIVIL CASE vs. AVIS BUDGET
Martin filed a civil complaint Jan. 23, 2024, against Avis Budget Rent A Car in Wake County Superior Court stemming from Sept. 15, 2023, in which he claims discrimination due to his race [white] because a black agent refused to rent him a Chevy Tahoe for which he had a reservation and later rented it to a black customer while Martin was waiting for a vehicle. The rental car location was listed as 4325 Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh.
Martin, who is representing himself, said he missed a business meeting in South Carolina on Sept. 16, 2023, due to not having transportation, and requested $1 million-plus in compensatory damages as a result.
Avis Budget’s attorney Maia Fleischman filed a motion to dismiss the case on Aug. 5, 2024, but Superior Court Judge C. Winston Gilchrist denied the request on Sept. 23, 2024. Gilchrist’s order noted that Martin did not attend the hearing, but Gilchrist also denied a motion to continue the hearing. Gilchrist said he reviewed the complaint and considered Fleischman’s arguments.
On Dec. 2, 2024, Fleischman filed a motion to compel and stated that Martin failed to respond to interrogatories and a request for production of documents.