Mac Kenneth K. Ortiz Sr., 36, of the 4800 block of Levick Street and the 4100 bock of Markland Street, bilked an estimated 38 victims, the office said.
He was accused of charges ranging from deception, attempted theft by deception, receiving stolen property, criminal use of a communications facility, insurance fraud, forgery, issuing bad checks, tampering with records, false swearing, unauthorized practice of law, and identity theft.
Scam insurance is not new - criminals have been selling fraudulent policies since health insurance came into being. But with today's skyrocketing health care costs, more consumers are seeking affordable access to quality care, which provides scam artists with fertile hunting grounds.
By appealing to consumers' insurance cost concerns, these individuals successfully entice more than 100,000 Americans into purchasing sham health insurance every year.
Consumers should always be on the lookout for common insurance scams.Michael Mason, 51, who now lives in Winchester, Calif., is charged with second-degree theft by deception, third-degree insurance fraud and fourth-degree falsifying records, said New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram in a prepared statement.
Some local practices are putting their cameras to work as insurance companies push doctors to find ways to prevent medical identity theft.
About six months ago, Family Medical Associates of Raleigh started taking photos of its patients to add to its permanent electronic file. That way, when someone comes in for an appointment, the administrator can quickly pull up the medical records and confirm that the person seeking treatment is indeed the correct patient, said Janet Spangler, administrator for the practice.
Felony charges were filed in Oklahoma County District Court in Oklahoma City today against two Texans accused of insurance fraud in Oklahoma
Attorney General Drew Edmondson says the charges against Jimmy Warren Wolff of Arlington and Rodney Williams of Fort Worth include conspiracy, racketeering and filing a false financial statement.
The Nebraska Department of Insurance announced earlier this month that James Almond III, dba Viking Glass, was sentenced by District Court Judge Thomas Otepka on three felony counts of insurance fraud.
Almond had been accused of submitting bogus invoices for auto glass repair and replacement to 10 different property and casualty insurance companies. The activity is alleged to have occurred over several years resulting in a loss of $54,913.29. In all, 85 cases have been identified in which Almond is accused of submitting bogus invoices on behalf of consumers to the companies and/or their third-party administrators for payment.
A former Dallas-area CPA was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, in connection with insurance fraud.
Robert David Neal pleaded guilty in April to six counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The Farrell dentist had reached a plea agreement with the state Attorney General’s Office to plead guilty to insurance fraud and acquiring a drug by fraud as part of an investigation that Dr. Lowe and three former employees obtained Hydrocodone with medical insurance and funneled the drug to her.
But, the deal went south when Dr. Lowe, 47, of 1801 Roemer Blvd., Farrell, learned that the plea agreement, which included a felony drug charge, would result in a 10-year suspension of her dentistry license by the State Dental Board, according to court documents filed by her attorney, Joshua D. Lock of Harrisburg.
Just days before jury selection was set to begin in the felony fraud trial of a Macomb doctor, he was convicted of one of the eight felony charges against him.
The balance of the charges against Dr. Khaled Dabash, 45, were dropped as part of an agreement between his attorneys and prosecutors from the Illinois Attorney General's office.
Sally Ann Hodge, 49, was supposed to be providing health exams for people applying for life insurance, and submitting her bills to a Colorado company, her indictment says. In return, Hodge received between $30 and $100.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and IBM Corp. are working together to fight health care insurance fraud.
IBM’s Risk Identification Analysis Service will be used by Excellus to review pharmacy-related claims to uncover complex schemes, the companies said. Such schemes include collusion, inappropriate billing practices, prescription forging, prescription pad theft and members who engage in “doctor shopping.”
“Someone who knowingly commits insurance fraud is no different than any other person who steals,” said Flora Allen, corporate director of Excellus’ special investigations unit. “Fraud affects everyone’s bottom line, so we aggressively and proactively pursue recoveries and convictions because we are protecting our members’ premiums.”
A Sherman Oaks, Calif., man has been arrested for insurance fraud, grand theft, identity theft, and federal charges, the California Department of Insurance reported. Moshe "Sanny" Assoulin, 35, was arrested in Israel on Aug. 19, 2007 by Israeli National Police. Assoulin is an Israeli national who grew up in California's San Fernando Valley.
A warrant for Assoulin's arrest was issued in October 2005, following the results of an investigation by the CDI. The investigation revealed multiple fraudulent automobile insurance claims were allegedly submitted to car rental and insurance companies by Assoulin and co-conspirators. Nine defendants have pleaded guilty to various insurance fraud related charges in connection with this case. In May 2005, Assoulin was awaiting sentencing for federal charges when he became aware of CDI's insurance fraud investigation. At that point, Assoulin fled to Israel.
Investigation News - Real Estate Fraud Is On the Rise: Protect Yourself - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Real estate fraud is on the rise. Knowing the popular scams out there and knowing how to protect against this type of criminal activity is essential.
Investigation News - Are Employees Using These Sneaky Tactics to Defraud Your Business? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Employees embezzle many millions of dollars from their employees each year. All businesses need to be aware of the most common worker scams.
