Miami PIP Fraud Leads to Three Arrests

Three individuals from the Miami-Dade area, who have allegedly been involved in personal injury protection (PIP) fraud schemes, were arrested on June 30, 2015 by the Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) in separate cases.

The first individual arrested was Mariela Quintana, a licensed massage therapist at D&J Rehabilitation Center in Miami. According to DIF, the 46-year old fraudulently billed for treatments never performed and signed off on treatment forms. Her role in the scheme resulted in more than $10,000 in fraudulent claims and is the second time in less than six months that she has been arrested for similar activities at the same clinic, DIF said. Quintana has been charged with Insurance Fraud, Grand Theft, and Organized Scheme to Defraud.

The second individual arrested, Noel Vazquez Lazo, organized a staged accident and paid for the policy of the at-fault automobile used in the accident. The 44-year old, paid participants in the staged accident to seek treatment for fake injuries. The PIP scheme resulted in filing claims totaling in excess of $89,000, according to DIF. He is charged with Organizing a Staged Accident, Insurance Fraud, and Grand Theft.

Last but not least, Rodney Fabian, 27, was charged with Solicitation, Patient Brokering, Insurance Fraud, and Grand Theft for his role for soliciting an individual of a hit and run accident and offering to pay for their treatment at a specific clinic, DIF reported. Fabian paid the individual $1,000 for seeking treatment at the specific clinic. However, the insurance company suspected the fraud scheme and refused to process the claims, which caused Fabian to demand the money back from the individual.

According to DIF, the three individuals face jail sentences ranging from 5 to 30 years and each case will be prosecuted by the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.

Click here to read press release from the Florida Department of Financial Services.