Mere moments away from unsealing the highly anticipated list of 2013 inductees to the “Insurance Fraud Hall of Shame,” James Quiggle, director of communications at the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (known as The Coalition), is divulging some of the year's highlights, or low lights (as it were) in a PropertyCasualty360 exclusive.

The forthcoming list represents just one of many initiatives spearheaded by the Coalition to enhance public awareness and educate the industry about the heinous crime (and many variations) of insurance fraud, which siphoned an estimated $64 billion from U.S. p&c insurers last year. That number is expected to swell to $80 billion by 2015, according to Aite Group.

As insurance carriers, law enforcement and other entities wage war on fraud, the Coalition continues to serve as a resource and unfortunate holding cell for the latest breaking news about arrests, pervasive schemes and individual cons preying on both l&h and p&c insurers and their customers. The Coalition's annual list effectively puts a face on fraud while challenging us to reassess its impact and make—and adhere to—resolutions in the new year.

Each of the felons featured here has been formally charged and/or involved in legal resolution for fraud during the current calendar year. As you'll read, many of their victims paid dearly, some with their lives. This was unfortunately the case for two children who became casualties of the first inductee's web of lies. Click on “Next” at the bottom right to learn their stories.

Arson Inductee: Armin Wand

What's a life worth? If one were to ask Armin Wand, the answer would likely be “not much.” The resident of Darlington, Wisconsin not only burned down his home, killing his sons, but also tried to murder his pregnant wife and their 2-year-old daughter—all for an insurance payout. His wife, Sharon, would later miscarry, while the ensuing trial would bring about more sordid revelations.

Wand desired a fresh start, one without his family. But that would require money. So he devised a plan: set fire to their rented house, killing all inside, and then use the insurance policy proceeds to begin anew. To everyone's horror, Wand was partially successful. The blaze killed his three sons: Allen Wand, 7; Jeffery Wand, 5; and Joseph Wand, 3; and left his 27-year-old wife in critical condition for months.

The couple's 2-year-old daughter, Jessica, was the only sibling to survive but barely, and not without resistance. Incredibly, when Sharon carried the child outside, Armin tried to pull her back in the fire.

Sharon has since endured five surgeries, multiple skin grafts, and 46 sedations for therapy. With more than 86 percent of her body burned, Sharon will never regain the full use of her limbs. Her lungs are so damaged from the fire that she will always need oxygen support. Convicted for murder, Wand is now serving three consecutive life sentences with no possibility for parole. Meanwhile, bizarre details continue to emerge. Stay tuned to learn about an explosive turn involving Wand's younger brother and allegations of identity theft.

Dishonorable Mention: Gerald Eugene Singer

One 74-year-old Muskegon, Michigan man convicted earlier this year must pay $653,140 in restitution to his victims in addition to potentially spending the rest of his adult life behind bar or, more specifically, as many as 55 years in prison.

A jury convicted Gerald Eugene Singer in March 2013 on two counts of arson, three counts of using fire to commit mail fraud, and five counts of tax fraud. Several properties were destroyed in the process.

Ever the overachiever, Singer also racked up one count of mail fraud for blazes at six additional properties and two attempted fires at other properties in Muskegon Heights.

Auto Fraud

Inductee: Sol Naimark

Living the dream in New York, Sol Naimark was a high-ranking leader in a massive no-fault auto crash ring that tried to steal more than $400 million in fake injury claims. That's the “largest attempted looting of no-fault insurance money in history,” prosecutors say. An underground sting ultimately led to the demise of the Russian-led criminal enterprise, including Naimark and a growing parade of convicted conspirators.

In March, Naiman, officially copped to his role in two separate conspiracies to defraud insurers, including one charge related to the largest single no-fault auto insurance fraud scheme in New York history.

As a high-ranking operative and licensed attorney, Naiman's primary duty had been to sue, or rather threaten to sue, auto insurers over false injury claims from real, albeit contrived, car wrecks. This made him a valued asset for the cartel and earned him $273,000 in fees.

Overall, the ring recruited thousands of people, including chiropractors, to churn out bills ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 per patient. Authorities identified 100 phony medical clinics staffed by corrupt doctors and other medical practitioners who illegally “rented out” their licenses.

Ten other defendants have pleaded guilty since Naimark's admission in court. Read the Coalition's expanded story to learn more about the expansive organized ring's intricate web of lies and the crimes it committed.

Inductee: Ana Ovando

Quiggle calls this a moral tale about the impact of fraud on a family, especially innocent children caught in the crossfire. Or, put crudely, an awful mother. Forty-two-year-old Ana Ovando belonged to a staged-crash gang, where her role was to glide a vehicle into low-impact collisions to propagate fake whiplash injuries.

According to reports, the south Floridian mother of five stuffed her kids, who range in age from 3 to 16 years old, into the cars for three setup wrecks. As children, they were vulnerable to injury or death, had the crashes not happened according to plan. Further demonstrating that the children's welfare was a low priority, Ovando subjected them to worthless chiropractic treatments, thereby exposing them to yet more potential harm.

Ovando then instructed her children to lie in court, even after her dangerous game was exposed. At one point during Ovando's trial, her seven-year-old daughter wandered onto the witness stand. The judge softly asked if she “loved her mommy,” to which she replied “yes” in between sobs. It was a sad scene for all, including prosecutors, who hadn't planned for the tiny witness to speak.

The eldest Ovando child told the courtshe wants a better life and to attend college. Circumstances have temporarily halted those dreams. Having dropped out of high school to care for her siblings, the teen now works at a fast-food restaurant. Ovando now faces 6 1/2 years in federal lockup and deportation to her native Dominican Republic.

Workers' Comp & Disability

Inductee: Wanda Podgurski

Convicted thief Wanda Lee Podgurski of San Diego, California taunted law enforcement with cheeky Twitter feeds. “Catch me if you can,” she tweeted after fleeing from her disability-fraud trial. The former Amtrak clerk had received 20 years in absentia for stealing more than $660,000.

Podgurski had fibbed one too many times, claiming to be disabled after slipping and falling down the stairs at her home. Because her back, hip, and leg were supposedly badly injured, Podgurski requested in-home care. The first step in securing those services was to apparently deceive insurers. The next step was to convince several doctors to sign letters confirming that she was, in fact, disabled.

The ever-enterprising Podgurski also collected another $261,000 for a fake insurance claim for jewelry she said had been stolen. Podgurski never showed up to court to answer allegations. Angered by her cavalier attitude, the court handed down the 20-year prison sentence, in absentia. It also ordered Podgurski to pay $1 million in fines and repay insurers.

All of this precipitated a manhunt and some snide emails sent by Podgurski challenging the district attorney to “find [her].” Did that day ever come? Moreover, are penalties imposed on cons who dodge the cops?

Inductee: Dr. Peter Ajemian

This New Yorker was a 'man of the people,' well in a sleazy way. Dr. Ajemian enabled hundreds of Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) employees to fabricate serious injuries so they could retire comfortably by means of disability insurance payouts and “ill-gotten pensions.”

Ajemian's co-conspirators, err, hundreds of then-employees of the second-largest commuter railroad in the U.S., dictated the terms of their retirement—namely, when it would begin. A popular start date was some point in their 50s. An efficient worker himself apparently, Ajemian falsely diagnosed more than 700 LIRR workers with crippling injuries so they could retire as “occupationally disabled.” Employees paid Ajemian between $800 and $1,200 for a nice little package, which including a proverbial rubber stamp on fake disabilities and forged medical records. The workers then lied to LIRR that they could not stand, sit, walk, or climb steps.

To round out his days and repertoire of illegal services, Ajemian also falsely billed insurers for millions of dollars of worthless tests and services, from X-rays, and physical therapy appointments to hospital visits and other claims involving outwardly healthy LIRR patients. He amassed $2.5 million in bribes and insurance money during a fraud spree spanning nearly a decade. The LIRR employees involved made out well, too, receiving disability pensions at a rate of 12 times more than any other commuter railroad.

Over the years, Ajemian and his cohorts concocted some elaborate stories involving supposedly debilitating incidents that will likely amuse and enrage you. The court sentenced Ajemian to hard prison time and $233 million in restitution. Did the early retirees receive their just rewards?

Insider Fraud

Inductee: Rick Renzi

This fable involves corruption by a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Sonoita, Arizona man had an insurance agency and a political career, which was humming right along. That is, until his schemes and reputation all turned to dust. Perhaps you have been following the legal proceedings against him in national news headlines?

The politician-turned-insurance scammer was found guilty of swindling clients out of $400,000 in premium dollars to illegally finance his 2002 congressional campaign. In late October, he received a three-year prison sentence. His name is Rick Renzi, and he likely does not approve this message.

Renzi operated a small agency ironically named the Patriot Insurance Agency, which was steered by his wife. She ran the family owned firm from their Arizona home. Non-profit organizations, including right-to-life groups and pregnancy crisis centers, were Patriot's main clients.

To make a long story short, instead of using premium dollars for what his clients originally intended—to obtain coverage for their businesses—the congressman laundered the loot to pay for all sorts of things, including personal expenses, such as a rather large tax bill, as well as airline tickets for family members. Meanwhile, the agency's clients went unprotected against catastrophes. A shoddy coverup would follow, along with apologies of “clerical errors,” and criminal charges. So what tipped off authorities? What is Renzi saying now? Find the answers and other developments in the Coalition's final list of 2013 inductees, which is arriving in your inbox soon.

A Fate Worse Than Death?

For a former Wall Street millionaire-turned-arsonist, a lengthy prison sentence was truly a fate 'worse than death.' A convoluted home arson case dating back to 2009 ended in tragedy, when Michael Marin chose to end his life rather than face social ostracism and between 7 and 21 years in prison.

Upon hearing a guilty verdict, the 53-year-old father of four swallowed a pill and started convulsing on the courtroom floor shortly thereafter. Although officials rushed to his aid and attempted to resuscitate him, Marin was dead within minutes.

On Top of the World

Marin's fall from grace was dramatic. Years ago while working as a Wall Street trader, he owned original Picassos and a 10,000-square-foot mansion in a posh enclave of Phoenix, Ariz. Marin spoke of his charmed life on Facebook, where he posted that he had scaled six of the world's seven tallest mountains.

But the millionaire attorney became a desperate man when, like many Americans crippled by recession, he fell behind on mortgage payments and depleted savings. At the time of the suspicious blaze for which Marin was prosecuted, he had $50 in his bank account, which was down from $900,000 a year prior.

Despite an apparent lack of cash flow, Marin contended with massive financial obligations, including a monthly mortgage payment of over $17,000, along with a $2,500 monthly payment on another home and a $34,000 tax bill. Additionally, a balloon payment of $2.3 million on his mortgage was due.

When Marin emerged from his burning palatial estate in scuba gear on July 5, 2009, investigators were more than a little leery. Marin claimed to have escaped the unexpected blaze using a rope ladder and wearing scuba equipment to avoid smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators later determined that the fire was deliberately ignited. Armed with this information and clues as to a possible motive, authorities arrested Marin, whom a jury found guilty of one felony count of “arson of an occupied structure” on June 28, 2012.

By many accounts, Marin's prison sentence (7 to 21 years) seemed harsh, given the fact that no one else was present at the time of the fire (and thus not endangered). Of course, Marin may have negotiated a shorter sentence, had an earlier plea deal been carried to fruition.

His Swan Song

After much speculation, an autopsy and subsequent testing confirmed the poison Marin ingested was indeed cyanide. Eerily, a YouTube video shows the courtroom ordeal and the dying man's last breath.

Special Reports /

Political Suicide, Outrageously Bad Parents and More: The Coalition Previews 2013 Fraud Hall of Shame

Related Stories

Recommended For You