3 women among over 100 arrested since March in Miami-Dade insurance fraud crackdown

Following Miami-Dade Police investigators’ Monday discovery of a bogus accident clinic accused of filing phony insurance claims to generate profits, three women are facing a number of counts, including grand theft and racketeering.

The complex plan involved enlisting people to fabricate car crashes so they could visit the clinic for care they never received.

However, the Wise Care Corp. facility in northwest Miami-Dade continued to submit insurance claims, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.

After being taken into custody at the clinic on Monday, Heidy Gonzalez-Perez, 26, Elizabeth Montero, 45, and Maray Arteaga, 39, appeared before a judge on Tuesday.

They were given bail by a court that ranged from $26,000 to $40,000.

Crack down on insurance fraud

They are part of 104 arrests in Miami-Dade since a pilot program to crack down on insurance fraud was launched in March, according to Det. Andre Martin.

According to Martin, the inquiry began when two drivers, Yamil Peniche-Lugo and Cynthia Reyes, were taken into custody in July for allegedly fabricating the collision and confessing to it.

However, an insurance claim was made three months after Reyes and Peniche-Lugo were taken into custody.

This led detectives to the clinic run by Wise Care Corp., where the three ladies worked in different capacities.

According to the arrest records, officers discovered numerous blank insurance claim forms that had already been completed by patients who hardly ever visited the office for the therapy that was billed to their insurance.

As the county continues to witness an increase in insurance fraud, the Miami-Dade Police Department is stepping up its crackdown on these crimes through a pilot program led by Lt. Lazaro Torres.

According to Torres, “physicians, body shops, and clinics are all in bed with each other.” “Everyone” means everyone. Insurance crimes are concentrated here.

Our insurance prices are so expensive because of this. Torres was employed in the insurance sector before to joining the police force.

He claimed that this past experience inspired him to spearhead the project. “They’re preying on individuals who recently arrived and are hard pressed for cash,” Torres added.

According to Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute, Florida has 1,100 staged accidents a year, making it one of the top three states in the nation for insurance fraud.

“Your insurance bill is higher by several hundred dollars because of all the fraud that takes place,” Friedlander stated.

“The number of staged accidents in Miami Metro has always been among the highest. It consistently ranks close to the top of the list.