This story is reprinted with permission from FC&&S Legal, the industry'sonly comprehensive digital resource designed for insurancecoverage law professionals. Visit the website to subscribe.

Five individuals have been arrested in New York and charged withparticipating in an auto insurance scheme in which they allegedlypurchased or increased automobile insurance policy coverage aftertheir vehicles already had been damaged and then misrepresented thedates of loss in claims submitted to their insurance carriers.

Filed false claims

According to prosecutors, each of the defendants owned a carthat was damaged. After their car was damaged, each defendantallegedly either purchased car insurance, increased the amount ofhis or her insurance coverage, or reduced the deductible, and thenfiled false claims with their insurance company stating that theincidents had occurred after the enhanced policies were ineffect.

Related: Fighting auto insurance fraud

As alleged by the government:

Willie Mack Floris, of Long Pond, Pennsylvania,allegedly was involved in a car accident on July 23, 2016 and thenlowered his collision coverage deductible from $2,500 to $500before submitting his claim on July 26, 2016. Allegedly, in hisclaim, Floris falsely stated that the accident had occurred on July25, 2016. He was charged with one count of Falsifying BusinessRecords in the First Degree, a class E felony; one count ofInsurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; and onecount of Attempted Grand Larceny, a class A misdemeanor.

Priscilla Valdez, of Williamsburg, Brooklyn,allegedly was involved in a car accident on July 14, 2016, addedcollision coverage minutes after the accident, then filed her claimon July 25, 2016, falsely stating that the accident had occurredsometime during the night of July 24 to July 25, 2016.

Valdez was charged with one count of Falsifying Business Recordsin the First Degree, a class E felony; one count of Insurance Fraudin the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; and one count of AttemptedGrand Larceny, a class A misdemeanor.

Alston Jones, of Canarsie, Brooklyn, allegedlywas involved in a car accident on January 31, 2016, added collisioncoverage on February 3, 2016, then filed a claim on March 30, 2016,falsely stating that the accident had occurred sometime during thenight of March 29 to March 30, 2016.

Jones was charged with one count of Falsifying Business Recordsin the First Degree, a class E felony; one count of Insurance Fraudin the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; and one count of AttemptedGrand Larceny, a class A misdemeanor.

Brian Correia, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn,allegedly let his insurance coverage lapse while he was away on atrip and returned from his trip on January 17, 2016 to discoverthat his vehicle had been vandalized. Allegedly, Correia reinstatedhis insurance policy that night, then filed his claim the morningafter, falsely claiming that the vandalism and theft had occurredon January 18, 2016.

Correia was charged with one count of Falsifying BusinessRecords in the First Degree, a class E felony; one count ofInsurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; and onecount of Attempted Grand Larceny, a class A misdemeanor.

Victor Carrasquillo, of Brentwood, Long Island,allegedly filed a claim on April 3, 2016 for damage to the rearpassenger side of his vehicle, then withdrew the claim afterlearning that his deductible was $2,500. Allegedly, on April 7,2016, Carrasquillo lowered his deductible from $2,500 to $500, andthen on May 10, 2016 allegedly filed a claim for the same damage,falsely claiming that the damage had occurred on April 22,2016.

Carrasquillo was charged with one count of Falsifying BusinessRecords in the First Degree, a class E felony; one count ofInsurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; and onecount of Attempted Grand Larceny, a class A misdemeanor.

If convicted of the top count, each defendant faces a maximum ofone to four years in prison.

Related: Former NYPD officer sentenced to 2 years in prisonfor auto insurance fraud

Steven A. Meyerowitz, Esq., is the director of FC&S Legal,the editor-in-chief of the Insurance Coverage Law Report, and thefounder and president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc. Email himat [email protected].