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TAMPA, FLA--Four indictments charging a total of 26 defendants with conspiracy to commit mail and insurance fraud have been unsealed. The indictments were returned by a federal grand jury in November and December 2005, and were unsealed Wednesday as agents began arresting those indicted. At least 19 of the 26 were in custody as of Thursday morning.
The respective indictments charge the defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and numerous substantive counts of mail fraud. The maximum penalties for conspiracy are five years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, while the maximum penalties for mail fraud are 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
According to the indictments, from October 2000 through January 2003, the
defendants conspired to commit mail fraud by staging automobile accidents and then
causing false claims, purportedly for medical care, pain, suffering, property and other
monetary damages resulting from injury and loss suffered as a result of the staged
automobile accidents, to be made against various insurance companies through the use of the U.S. mail. The investigation conducted by the FBI and other agencies involved an undercover company and included the cooperation and assistance of American International Group, Inc. (AIG) and the Hartford Insurance Company during the course of the investigation.B
Trident Venture Group Inc. (TVG) was the company which held itself out as an advanced funding company for insurance claims arising from automobile accidents, but which was in truth, the undercover investigative operation of the FBI designed to investigate insurance fraud. An advanced funding company is an entity which will pay a limited monetary amount, in advance, on an anticipated settlement for a bodily injury (BI) claim by an individual against an insurance company. In exchange for making this advanced payment, the funding company becomes entitled to collect a greater, contracted for, amount from the individual upon settlement of the BI claim by the individual against the insurance company.
Among the defendants named in the four indictments are:
Elizabeth Caruso a/k/a Elizabeth Martinez 53 Tampa, FL, president of Tampa Bay Personal Injury Clinic, Inc.(TBPIC) which provided medical services for patients/clients including those involved in automobile accidents.
TBPIC was located at 701 West Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite 5, Tampa, and moved to Suite 1 in early 2001.
Alfredo Eduardo Polo Padron, a/k/a Alberto Padron 54 Tampa, FL, secretary and treasurer of TBPIC
Ireno Luis Delgado, a/k/a Ireno Luis 47 Tampa, owned and operated the
Diagnostic Medical Center, Inc. (DMC) using the name of Ireno Luis. DMC provided medical services for patients/clients including those involved in automobile accidents. He is named in two indictments.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida
Department of Financial Services, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the Tampa Police Department. The
cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald L. Hansen. 2-16-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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