Photo Courtesy of the Attorney General’s Office
“New Yorkers’ pay more when fraudsters cheat the system,” AG Schneiderman said.
By Forum Staff
Four men and one woman were recently charged in a fraud scheme in which they allegedly purchased or increased automobile insurance policy coverage after their vehicles were already damaged, and then misrepresented the dates of loss in claims submitted to their insurance carriers, according to State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
The five suspects – Willie Mack Flores, 37; Priscilla Valdez, 34; Alston Jones, 54; Brian Correia, 34; and Victor Carrasquillo, 27 – were arrested last week on felony complaints filed in Queens, Brooklyn, and Suffolk County, and face charges including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and attempted grand larceny.
“New Yorkers’ pay more when fraudsters cheat the system,” Schneiderman said. “Insurance fraud is a serious crime, and today’s arrests should serve as yet another warning that my office will continue to aggressively identify and prosecute those who try to scam the system.”
According to charging documents, each of the suspects owned a car that was damaged. After their car was damaged, each allegedly bought car insurance, increased the amount of their insurance coverage, or reduced their deductible after the fact, and then filed false claims with their insurance company stating that the incidents occurred after the enhanced policies were in effect.
For example, Floris, who resides in Long Pond, PA, allegedly was involved in a car accident in Queens on July 23, 2016. He then allegedly lowered his collision-coverage deductible to $500 from $2,500 before submitting his claim on July 26, 2016. In said claim, Floris allegedly falsely stated that the accident had occurred on July 25, 2016.
Schneiderman noted that, if convicted of the top count, each suspect faces a maximum of 1 1/3 to four years in prison.
“The cost of insurance fraud is shared by all consumers and it is important that we identify and prosecute those responsible for raising our insurance expenses,” said Kevin Gallagher, regional director of the Northeast Region of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “This investigation sends a strong message to others who may be contemplating engaging in insurance fraud.”
According to the attorney general’s office, the charges are the result of “Operation Crash & Buy II,” an investigation initiated by the AG’s Auto Insurance Fraud Unit in conjunction with the NICB. The joint investigation targeted fraudulent claims made to auto insurance carriers for damage and thefts that occurred before the policy effective dates. The operation is a continuation of a prior proactive investigation seeking to hold accountable those who purchase or increase coverage after a loss already occurred. Both operations have now resulted in 11 arrests.
