According to the Sun Sentinel, Five South Floridians were arrested and charged with staging an accident
grand theft and
insurance fraud, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced today.
Miami residents Mario J. Chavez, 53, Robin Nelson Campanioni, Jr., 23, Jorge J. Mota, 27, and Naima Basnueva Lastre, 24, and Eduardo Figueredo, 44, of Miami Springs, met at a house in Miami to plot the scheme then submitted $83,000 in claims to four insurance companies for treatment at Doral Center Rehab and Justin Medical Services, according to investigators. They expect to make more arrests.
“Fake accidents like these are happening everyday in Florida’s biggest cities and are costing Floridians millions of dollars a year in increased auto insurance rates,” Atwater said in a statement. “The perpetrators will be caught, they will go to jail, and we will work to get Floridians the relief they deserve on their auto insurance premiums.”
The attorneys at Hager & Schwartz, P.A. have extensive experience defending those charged with
insurance fraud as a result of allegations that they participated or were somehow involved in a staged accident(s). In today's economic climate, these types of charges have become more common and a person charged with insurance fraud based on a staged accident is facing a minimum mandatory prison sentence as well as many other statutory and discretionary penalties.
Typically, arrests for these types of cases are made when two or more vehicles stage an accident and as a result of such, utilize the services of a medical provider who submits a claim to the insurance carrier for injuries that did not occur and treatment that was not necessary and not provided. Usually, the medical provider is part of the scheme and profits from the claim.
However, often times individuals get arrested when they had absolutely nothing to do with the accident or the staging of such. Unfortunately, the law does not distinguish between a driver and a passenger in a staged accident in regards to culpability and both are charged with staged accident and
insurance fraud.
The attorneys at Hager & Schwartz, P.A. will vigorously defend you if you have been charged withstaged accident and/or
insurance fraud regardless of your role.
If you have been arrested or are under investigation for these types of offenses, call our office immediately to discuss your case!