A Riverside man faces 12 years in state prison for his role in a scheme to defraud two insurance companies by illegally selling liens on workers' comp claims.

Rene Montes, 42, pled guilty on June 7, 2010 to 122 felony counts, including 59 counts each of grand theft and insurance fraud, three counts of tax evasion, and one count of conspiracy. How did Montes manage to rack up such a long list of charges? Well, he didn't work alone. He was the last of four defendants to be sentenced after the other three pled guilty in May.

Montes, who owned a surgery center in La Habra, worked with the three claim adjusters to defraud AIG and Matrix Absence Management out of $1.4 million. Montes sent more than 50 letters falsely claiming to have the authority to negotiate, settle, and collect payment on pending liens on behalf of doctors and hospitals.

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