NU Online News Service, Jan. 28, 2:28 p.m. EST
A Florida couple arrested three years ago for similar offenses was again arrested for submitting $118,000 in fraudulent insurance claims.
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said the Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) arrested husband and wife Isidoro and Yusimy Martinez as well as three others on charges of filing false and fraudulent claims through Marbella Medical Center in Tampa, Fla.
Mr. Atwater said that, due to her previous arrest, Ms. Martinez could not legally operate her own clinic, so she obtained a "straw owner" to open Marbella Medical. As soon as the doors opened, 19 patients were "immediately obtained from automobile accidents to further their fraud scheme," Mr. Atwater's office said.
Mr. and Mrs. Martinez each pleaded guilty to insurance fraud three years ago for their roles in a similar scheme with another Tampa clinic. Mrs. Martinez received three years of probation. Mr. Martinez got five years probation. Each was ordered to pay restitution.
Mr. Atwater said $4,000 in claims was paid by insurers. The DIF was assisted in its investigation by Nationwide, Allstate, Hallmark Insurance and the National Crime Insurance Bureau.
Mr. Atwater said his office is committed to stopping auto insurance fraud, especially fraudulent personal injury protection (PIP) claims.
Last year the NICB said questionable claims submitted by its member companies in Florida rose 58 percent from 2008 to 2009. A 290 percent increase in questionable claims related to staged auto accidents was recorded in the Tampa area from 2008 to 2009, according to NICB.
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