RIVERSIDE– On February 7, 2017, California Department of Insurance detectives and investigators with the Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force busted 40 people suspected of running an organized auto insurance fraud ring that netted more than a half million dollars in insurance claims payouts by 10 different insurance companies. Of the 40 suspects: Seven were arrested […]
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Van Nuys Man Sentenced For Insurance Scam
LOS ANGELES – On July 18, 2016 Cristian Raul Videla, 34, of Van Nuys, was convicted on one felony count of grand theft and sentenced to five years’ probation, 120 hours of community service, and ordered to pay full restitution to his five victims. Investigators with the Department of Insurance Investigation Division discovered Videla had […]
Former NFL Player Arrested in Staged Collision Scheme
RIVERSIDE – Former Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Jeffrey Leon Webb, 34, of Indio, was arrested on multiple felony counts after he allegedly orchestrated four staged collisions resulting in a total loss of more than $139,000. “California is ground zero for staged auto collisions,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “Organized crime rings are responsible for […]
Insurance Detectives Arrest School Employee for Felony Workers’ Comp Fraud
LOS ANGELES – On May 13, 2016, California Department of Insurance detectives arrested Juanita Denise Schmittle, 50, of Baldwin Park, on two counts of workers’ compensation fraud after she allegedly misrepresented her injuries and mental health conditions suffered while working as an instructional aide for the Baldwin Park Unified School District. Schmittle’s alleged misrepresentations resulted […]
Fifteen Arrested in Staged Collision Auto Insurance Fraud Scheme
FRESNO – On May 10, 2016, detectives from the California Department of Insurance arrested 15 suspects on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud for allegedly staging auto collisions to scam more than four insurance companies out of tens of thousands of dollars. Additional arrests are expected. “Insurance detectives investigating this case have 28 suspects […]
A CDI Investigation: Woman Busted After Filing a Claim For An Accident She Wasn’t Even In
SANTA ANA– A Santa Ana woman was arraigned May 2, 2016, on charges she submitted a fraudulent insurance claim for more than $16,000 for a vehicle damaged in a collision she was not even in. Amezcua Alejandra Rodriguez, 40, is charged with two felony counts of insurance fraud. On May 29, 2015, Rodriguez’s relative was […]
Nine Arrested and charged in Insurance Scam
LOS ANGELES – On April 7, 2016, Elizabeth Louise Brown, 48, of Canyon Country, a former claims adjuster with Explorer Insurance, was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including insurance fraud and conspiracy for allegedly embezzling more than $276,000 from her employer. Another eight people were also arrested and charged with fraud. Additional arrests are […]
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to Three Years in Jail For ID and Grand Theft
LOS ANGELES– On March 17, 2016, Dwen Curry, 47, of Los Angeles, arrested in February by California Department of Insurance detectives, was sentenced to three years in county jail following a conviction of one felony count of identity theft and one count of attempted grand theft. “This is yet another conviction, another sentence, another example of […]
CSLEA Member, Investigator Tamara Kessler Recovers $650,000 for Elderly Victims of Insurance Fraud
Former insurance agent sentenced to 10 years in prison SANTA BARBARA— Kudos to our California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) Fraternal Order of Police Member, California Department of Insurance Investigator Tamara Kessler, who secured $650,000 in refunded money for two elderly victims of insurance fraud by ex-insurance agent Joseph Anthony Mele, 31, of Ventura. “The […]
Owners of Janitorial Company Indicted for $7 Million Insurance Fraud and Tax Evasion
SAN DIEGO – A grand jury in San Diego has indicted the owners of the janitorial company Good Neighbor Services, as well as six accomplices for a massive, ongoing insurance fraud and tax evasion scheme amounting to $7 million. “This case involved extensive work by state investigators with the California Department of Insurance, Employment Development […]
