53 Arrested for Faking Auto Crashes for Insurance Money

County, federal and state law enforcement officials on Thursday announced the results of a five-month investigation involving staged car crashes and insurance fraud in Hillsborough County at a news conference held Thursday at the sheriff’s office in Ybor City.

One of the clinics at the center of the investigation was a business in Central Tampa — Doctor Florida Rehabilitation, located at 2123 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Three other clinics in the investigation were located in unincorporated western Hillsborough County.

“Operation No Pain No Gain” — a joint venture of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the Hillsborough County Office of the State Attorney and the Florida State Department Financial Services  resulted in arrest warrants for 53 people, and search warrants at four medical clinics in Hillsborough County, officials said. Representatives from each agency were on hand at the news conference.

Detectives began arresting suspects and serving search warrants May 11, according to the sheriff's office. Suspects included clinic owners and managers, massage therapists and participants in the alleged staged crashes. The criminal charges range from Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO), a first-degree felony, to filing false and fraudulent insurance claims.

The sheriff’s office, in conjunction with the NICB, has been combating these criminal enterprises since September 2009 after deputies noticed a pattern of questionable vehicle crashes, the release said. Undercover detectives developed confidential informants and learned which medical clinics being used in this fraudulent activity.

Detectives identified the recruiters and coordinators who would solicit individuals to conduct staged crashes, officials said. Participants would be directed to a particular medical clinic to sign blank medical forms. At the clinics, crash “victims” would be coached on how to describe their injuries or pain to physicians.

During the last five months the estimated loss to insurance companies due to fraudulent claims from the staged crashes is estimated in the millions, officials said.