Three women are facing multiple serious charges, including racketeering and grand theft, after investigators from the Miami-Dade Police Department uncovered a fraudulent accident clinic on Monday. The clinic is accused of being involved in an elaborate scheme where it filed false insurance claims in order to generate illicit profits.
As part of the operation, the clinic recruited patients to stage automobile accidents, after which they would visit the clinic to receive treatments that were never actually provided. This fraudulent activity was designed to deceive insurance companies and secure payouts for services that were not rendered.
Despite the fraudulent nature of their operations, the Wise Care Corp. clinic, located in northwest Miami-Dade, continued to submit false insurance claims, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
On Monday, law enforcement officials arrested three women at the clinic: Heidy Gonzalez-Perez, 26; Elizabeth Montero, 45; and Maray Arteaga, 39. The three women were later brought before a judge on Tuesday, where they faced charges related to their involvement in the fraudulent scheme. The judge set their bonds between $26,000 and $40,000, allowing for their release pending further legal proceedings.
Detective Andre Martin stated that the three women are part of a larger effort that has led to 104 arrests in Miami-Dade since the start of a pilot program in March designed to target insurance fraud.
The investigation into the fraudulent activities began after two individuals, Cynthia Reyes and Yamil Peniche-Lugo, were arrested in July for staging a car accident, a crime they later confessed to. Despite their arrest, an insurance claim related to the staged accident was still filed three months later.
The investigation, which followed the arrests of Reyes and Peniche-Lugo, eventually led authorities to the Wise Care Corp. clinic, where the three women were found to hold various positions. As the probe unfolded, it became clear that the clinic was involved in the fraudulent scheme, with the women playing key roles in its operations.
Detective Martin explained that individuals involved in the staged accidents are asked to sign numerous medical forms, some of which are predated or postdated, and these signed forms are then submitted to insurance companies. He added that those staging the accidents are recruited by people within the organization and are offered money for their involvement.
According to the arrest reports, detectives discovered a large number of blank insurance claim forms that had been signed by patients who seldom, if ever, visited the clinic for the treatments that were billed to their insurance.
Lt. Lazaro Torres, who is heading the pilot program within the Miami-Dade Police Department targeting insurance fraud, noted that the county has seen a rise in such crimes. He pointed out that clinics, attorneys, and body shops often work together in these fraudulent schemes. โEverybody is connected,โ Torres said. โWe are a major hub for insurance crimes, which is why our insurance rates are so high.โ
Torres, who previously worked in the insurance industry, said his background in the field motivated him to lead this initiative. He also explained that fraudsters often prey on vulnerable individuals, particularly those who have recently moved to the area and are in financial distress.
Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute highlighted that Florida ranks among the top three states in the U.S. for insurance fraud, with around 1,100 staged accidents occurring annually. He added that residentsโ insurance bills are higher by hundreds of dollars due to fraud. Miamiโs metro area consistently ranks as one of the largest hubs for staged accidents in the country.
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