A Whidbey Island couple is accused of trying to fraudulently obtain a life insurance policy on a child after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged Charles H. Boyles III, 39, in Island County Superior Court May 23 with perjury in the first degree, conspiracy to commit theft in the first degree and conspiracy to commit a fraudulent insurance claim.

Genia H. Boyles, 34, was charged with conspiracy to commit theft in the first degree and conspiracy to commit a fraudulent insurance claim.

A detective with the state Office of Insurance Commissioner investigated the case.

The detective’s report states that in June 2016, the boy’s mother called Boyles, her ex-husband, and informed him that their 11-year-old son had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer; he had been sick for about four months.

Seven hours later, Genia Boyles called Gerber Life and obtained a life insurance claim on her stepson, knowingly misrepresenting his medical history, according to the report.

Charles and Genia Boyles both were originally named as beneficiaries, but Genia Boyles called back to try to remove her husband from the policy. Charles Boyles owed $19,000 in back child support and a change in beneficiary “would shield the life insurance proceeds from DSHS collecting back child support,” the detective wrote.

That summer, the Coupeville community organized numerous fundraising events to help the boy and his family with expenses related to cancer treatments.

The boy died in April 2017 at age 12.

Two days later, Genia Boyles filed a claim with Gerber Life for $15,000. She repeatedly told Gerber representatives that she and her husband had no prior knowledge of the seriousness of the boy’s illness.

Charles Boyles obtained the boy’s medical records from Seattle Children’s Hospital to send to the life insurance company.

Gerber Life denied the claim three months later, saying that the couple had misrepresented the child’s medical issues.