“Together with our federal and state law

enforcement, regulatory and private industry

partners, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will take away your ill-gotten money,

and you will face substantial prison time.”

- U.S. Attorney Wilfredo A. Ferrer

Volume 3 - Issue 12 June 2013

Operation Sledgehammer continued in its attack on insurance fraud in Palm Beach County with the latest indictments from the U.S. Attorney’s office against 33 individuals, including chiropractors Aaron Freedlander, 50, Kenneth Karow, 53, Lazaro Rodriguez, 58, and Lawrence Schechtman, 45. Twenty-eight subjects total were arrested while five others are believed to be in Cuba and remain fugitives. The case involves fraudulent activity between October 2006 and December 2012, including staged accidents, unlicensed clinics, insurance fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.

“These staged accidents are the lifeblood of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) fraud, which has cast a shadow over Florida’s roads,” Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said. “Every Florida family is negatively affected by these fake crashes in the form of high auto insurance premiums. I am proud of the collaborative efforts across local, state and federal agencies to put these criminals behind bars.”

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “Staged accident automobile insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. Rather, it affects every driver in Florida, as fraud inevitably causes our insurance rates to rise. Worse still, staged accidents make our streets more dangerous and distract police from answering legitimate distress calls. We hope that this continued operation will send a message to those who seek to line their pockets through fraud. Together with our federal and state law enforcement, regulatory and private industry partners, we will find you, we will prosecute you, we will take away your ill-gotten money, and you will face substantial prison time.”

A list of clinics identified in Operation Sledgehammer includes Chiropractic Office of South Florida; Elite Rehabilitation Services Center; Febre’s Medical Center; Forest Hill Rehabilitation Medical Center; Franco Chiropractor Center; Greenacres Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center; HealthCare’R Us; Johnson Rehabilitation Center; Karow Chiropractic Center; Mango Massage Therapy Center; New York Medical Rehab Center; Progressive Rehab Treatments Corp; Sunshine Therapy & Medical Center; Ultimate Rehabilitation Services; and Universal Rehab Med Group, all in Palm Beach County; and 36 Rehabilitation Center; Eli Medical Center; Florida Therapy and Rehab Center; N&G Medical Center; Omega Medical Diagnostic and V&H Medical Center, all located in Miami-Dade county.

To date, 92 people have been charged in the Operation Sledgehammer scheme with federal charges filed against 56 defendants by the U.S. Attorney's Office and state charges filed against 36 defendants by the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office.

See the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fls/PressReleases/130516-02.html and this article by Paula McMahon at the Sun-Sentinel at http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-05-16/news/fl-staged-accident-fraud-20130516_1_insurance-fraud-false-insurance-claims-insurance-companies.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 Sledgehammer

2 PIP Fraud News

3 Most Wanted

4 Statewide Arrests

7 Statewide Contacts

HEADER HERE 33 Charged in Latest Operation Sledgehammer Indictments

Page 2 The PIP Source

Lee County Chiropractor Arrested for Patient Brokering and Insurance Fraud The Division of Insurance Fraud arrested chiropractor David Greydinger, 41, last month after an undercover investigation into his clinic, DISA Med dba MYO Health Clinic, located in Fort Myers. The investigation revealed that Greydinger paid an undercover patient to continue treating at his clinic. Greydinger was charged with patient brokering and insurance fraud, as he submitted claims to Nationwide Insurance for treatment not provided. Nationwide assisted DIF in the case.

Greydinger was first licensed as a chiropractor in 2005, the same year that he opened DISA Med.

Check out this link at NBC2 in Ft Myers - http://www.nbc-2.com/story/22262666/fort-myers-chiropractor-arrested-for-fraud.

Orlando Recruiter Facing Federal Trial in PIP Fraud Scheme Although Junel Basile's job title was "driver," what he really did for Metro Chiropractic & Wellness Center, federal authorities say, was recruit people to participate in staged car accidents and meticulously plan the crashes.

In a 17-page criminal complaint filed against Basile earlier this year, an FBI agent said clinics usually try to hide the role of "runners" - those who solicit people to participate in staged accidents - by employing them as "drivers." Basile reportedly would brief his recruits how the crash would occur, which driver would be at fault, the number of passengers he wanted in each car and what to tell the police. The recruits, some of whom were promised up to $1,500 each for their involvement, had to then seek treatment at Metro Chiropractic & Wellness Center, which paid Basile more than $140,000 in 2011 in his role as "driver."

The case, being prosecuted in the United States District Court in Orlando, is an example of the kind of insurance fraud that costs Americans billions of dollars each year.

Read the article by the Orlando Sentinel’s Amy Pavuk at http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-06-01/news/os-staged-accidents-fraud-arrests-20130601_1_staged-accidents-insurance-fraud-car-accidents.

Hillsborough County PIP Reforms Appear To Be Working Auto insurance fraud, by most measures, is more widespread in Florida than in any other state.

Hillsborough County has had some success in implementing local reform. Following the NICB report putting Tampa second in the nation in staged accidents, Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner went after fraudulent clinics by targeting those that received the vast majority of their revenue from Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurers.

With help from county attorneys, detectives, and the NICB, Beckner sponsored a county ordinance targeting clinics that received over 90 percent or $200,000 in gross income from PIP payouts. The ordinance requires such clinics to obtain a license from the county and identify and provide background information on all employees, including a managing physician.

Later, the NICB reported that questionable claims on PIP insurance in Hillsborough County had dropped to near zero. Writing in the Tampa Bay Times, Beckner said that 79 suspected fraudulent clinics closed within a month of the ordinance’s passage.

He encouraged other counties to adopt similar measures.

See the entire article at http://www.insurancefraud.org/IFNS-detail.htm?key=16461.

Additional Links for Operation Sledgehammer Here are several additional links to coverage of the Operation Slegehammer takedown.

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/insurance-fraud-ring-busted-operation-sledgehammer-leads-to-dozens-of-arrests#ixzz2TYR2btP3

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-05-16/news/fl-staged-accident-fraud-20130516_1_insurance-fraud-false-insurance-claims-insurance-companies

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/auto-accident-fraud-sweep-arrests-26-in-palm-beach/nXszT/

PIP FRAUD – In The News

Page 3 June 2013

Check out the DFS Most Wanted at http://www.myfloridacfo.com/PressOffice/MostWanted/

Most Wanted: Fugitive

The Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) arrested five persons for charges that included insurance fraud, patient brokering and organized scheme to defraud in two cases involving fraudulent claims at Colonial Rehabilitation, a clinic located in Orlando, Florida.

Arrested were clinic owner Joaquin Perez, 46, chiropractor Ricardo Ramos, 37, massage therapists Jazmyn Martha Aguilar Lastres, 24, and Dayleann Marie Vallejo, 28, and Felix Bonilla, 40. An investigation by DIF showed that patients who went to the clinic following real accidents were either offered money to treat and signed blank forms for treatment they did not receive, or were billed for treatment they did not receive.

Aguilar and Vallejo were allegedly used as straw owners to obtain a certificate of exemption from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to operate the clinic, which was allegedly owned by Joaquin Perez, who is not a licensed health care practitioner.

Perez, Ramos and Aguilar were charged in two cases, while Vallejo and Bonilla were charged in one.

Colonial Rehabilitation was incorporated in August 2011 under Vallejo’s name and switched to Aguilar’s name in March 2012.

Ramos was first licensed as a chiropractor in Florida in 2002 and operated his own clinic, Solar Injury Center, located in Tampa.

The insurance companies defrauded in these cases were First Acceptance and Hartford.

Five Arrested in Orlando Fraud Scheme

Manuel Hernandez AKA: Manuel Garcia Hernandez White Male, 56 years old 5’10”, 210 lbs, Brown Eyes, Gray Hair

Warrant Information: Warrant/Case #: 2009-CF031293 Felony Warrant Charge: Staged Motor Vehicle Crash Details: The Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud is attempting to locate Manuel Hernandez.

Manuel Hernandez committed acts of Insurance Fraud resulting from knowingly participating in an intentional staged motor vehicle crash on March 2, 2009 for the purpose of claiming personal injury protection (PIP) benefits. On March 2, 2009, a traffic crash occurred involving the subject as a participant of the “not at fault” vehicle. After the crash, Hernandez faked injuries for treatment at a chiropractic clinic also involved with the submission of the fraudulent claims.

If you know where Hernandez can be located, please contact the Division of Insurance Fraud at 1-800-378-0445.

Page 4 June 2013

Statewide PIP Arrests – May 2013

Each issue will provide a list of PIP arrests made by the offices throughout the State. Along with each defendant’s name and age, we will include: the type of scheme involved; the fraud dollar amount; clinic name(s); victim insurance company name(s); and the arresting office. If you need additional details on any of these arrests, please contact Capt. Smith.

Daniele Michelle Solone, 26 – staged acct 06/04/12 (driver) $43,018 - Gate Parkway Diagnostic Center / One Touch Therapy Center (Kemper / Progressive) J

Jean Fricot Moise, 32 – fake ins card (Ocean Harbor) W

Christian David Herrera Coutin, 23 – staged acct 10/14/12 (driver) $32,725 - K & J Medical Center (Ocean Harbor) M

Rose Edwards, 53 – unlicensed therapist - Stuber Chiropractic and Acupuncture (Cigna / Travelers) O

Risley Perez, 36 – staged acct 03/25/10 (passenger) $46,208 - B & A Diagnostic / Pentacle Rehabilitation Center / Sunlight Rehabilitation (Geico / MGA / Progressive) M

David Greydinger, 41 – chiropractor – patient brokering / fraud - $7,785 - DISA Med (Nationwide) F

Maria Victoria Castro, 29 – staged acct 03/12/12 (passenger) $61,729 - All Future Medical Center / Benefica Health Center (United Auto) M

Oscar Loarca, 58 – jump-in - $12,070 - Lake Worth Physical Medicine (Gainsco) W

Dyanne Lashell Lundy, 22 – jump-in - $7,887 - (Geico) J

Ulises Betancourt Diaz, 39 – application fraud (Geico) M

Ernesto Marrero, 44 – staged acct 07/12/11 (passenger) $154,407 - Centinel Medical Center / HET Medical / Rosenberg Clinic (21st Century / Allstate / Geico / State Farm) M

Rosa Gonzalez Cardenas, 42 - clinic employee - $46,465 - Well-Care Rehab Services (Titan) M

Madelaine Osoria, 41 - clinic owner - $46,465 - Well-Care Rehab Services (Titan) M

Greenly Rodriguez Fernandini, 29 - massage therapist - $46,465 - Well-Care Rehab Services (Titan) M

Greenly Rodriguez Fernandini, 29 - massage therapist - $11,905 - Well-Care Rehab Services (Geico) M

Nikki Juanell Barrett, 37 – statement in support of jump-in - $66,468 - (Geico / State Farm) T

Frank Hugh Donal Arnold, 32 – fake ins card (Infinity) W

Alexander Garcia, 44 – staged acct 06/04/12 (driver) $41,465 - Gate Parkway Diagnostic Center / One Touch Therapy Center (Kemper) J

Wilfredo Sauceda, 33 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Dayleann Marie Vallejo, 28 – massage therapist / organized scheme to defraud – $24,866 - Colonial Rehabilitation (Hartford) O

Nelson Martinez, 47 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Abner Llenderrozo, 39 – massage therapist – mail fraud W

Iris Roca, 41 – mail fraud W

Maykel Marquez Morejon, 31 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Elias Sebastian Munguia, 41 – mail fraud W

Aleida Prado Capdevila, 61 – mail fraud W

Oscar Montiel Martinez, 33 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Yenisleydi Ramos, 26 – massage therapist - mail fraud / money laundering W

Helenne Vazquez, 30 – mail fraud W

Amaury Tomas Contino, 29 – mail fraud W

Sircy Santos Sacerio, 30 – mail fraud W

Code – B (Broward) F (Ft Myers) J (Jacksonville) M (Miami) O (Orlando) P (Pensacola) TL (Tallahassee) T (Tampa/St Pete) W (West Palm Beach)

Page 5 The PIP Source

Statewide PIP Arrests – May 2013

Each issue will provide a list of PIP arrests made by the offices throughout the State. Along with each defendant’s name and age, we will include: the type of scheme involved; the fraud dollar amount; clinic name(s); victim insurance company name(s); and the arresting office. If you need additional details on any of these arrests, please contact Capt. Smith.

Noelia Marichal, 52 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Yanet Hernandez Marichal, 26 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Teresita Mena, 52 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Luis Ivan Hernandez, 39 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Maria Teresa Testa Baceiro, 29 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Daviel Martinez Castro, 26 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Aaron Freedlander, 50 – chiropractor – mail fraud W

Hal Kreitman, 49 – chiropractor – mail fraud W

Juan Francisco Avon, 61 – mail fraud W

Kenneth Gerald Karow, 53 – chiropractor - mail fraud / money laundering W

Olinda Rodriguez, 39 – massage therapist - mail fraud W

Ninette Maranillo, 26 – staged acct 07/12/11 (passenger) $132,767 – Centinel / Medical Inc / Rosenberg (21st Century / Geico / State Farm) M

Jazmyn Martha Aguilar Lastres, 24 – massage therapist / organized scheme to defraud - $24,866 – Colonial Rehabilitation (Hartford) O

Yeisy Chousa, 31 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Oreste Rolando Chavez, 41 – massage therapist mail fraud / money laundering W

Alien Moya, 28 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Joel Simon Ramirez, 28 – mail fraud / money laundering W

Lawrence Eric Schechtman, 45 – chiropractor – mail fraud W

Jessica Joyce Longs, 25 – fake ins card (Seminole Casualty) T

Ricardo Ramos, 37 – chiropractor / organized scheme to defraud - $24,866 – Colonial Rehabilitation (Hartford) O

Joaquin Perez, 46 – unlicensed clinic owner / organized scheme to defraud - $24,866 – Colonial Rehabilitation (Hartford) O

Deserae Denise Brooker, 23 – application fraud / identity theft - $21,478 - (Geico) O

Noylan Barreto, 20 – staged acct 03/28/12 (driver) $9,059 – Indian Rehabilitation Center (Geico) J

Kassem Kazim Kaim, 41 – staged acct 10/16/10 (driver) $62,590 – Chiro-Med Plus Chiropractic (Mapfre / Progressive / Sentry) J

Valerie Trenise Farrior Brown, 42 – fake ins card (Esurance) T

Nora M Lopez, 52 – statement in support of jump-in - $12,070 - Lake Worth Physical Medicine (Gainsco) W

Jazmyn Martha Aguilar Lastres, 24 – massage therapist / straw owner / insurance fraud – $10,000 - Colonial Rehabilitation (First Acceptance) O

Joaquin Perez, 46 – unlicensed clinic owner / insurance fraud – $10,000 - Colonial Rehabilitation (First Acceptance) O

Carlos Manuel Lopez, 37 – staged acct 06/25/11 (recruiter) $16,524 – B & A Diagnostic / Flamingo Health Corp (Allstate) M

Carlos Manuel Lopez, 37 – staged acct 07/15/11 (recruiter) $60,062 - Flamingo Health Corp / Noba Rehabilitation Center / Rivero Diagnostic Center / Y & H Imaging (Allstate / Geico) M

Carlos Manuel Lopez, 37 – staged acct 08/08/11 (recruiter) $50,481 – Flamingo Health Corp / Omega Medical Diagnostic / Y & H Imaging (Geico / State Farm) M

Code – B (Broward) F (Ft Myers) J (Jacksonville) M (Miami) O (Orlando) P (Pensacola) TL (Tallahassee) T (Tampa/St Pete) W (West Palm Beach)

Page 6 The PIP Source

Statewide PIP Arrests – May 2013

Each issue will provide a list of PIP arrests made by the offices throughout the State. Along with each defendant’s name and age, we will include: the type of scheme involved; the fraud dollar amount; clinic name(s); victim insurance company name(s); and the arresting office. If you need additional details on any of these arrests, please contact Capt. Smith.

Edgar Constantino Lacayo, 42 – staged acct 06/14/11 (recruiter) $27,366 - (State Farm) B

Felix Bonilla, 40 – patient brokering (First Acceptance) O

Ricardo Ramos, 37 – chiropractor / insurance fraud - $10,000 - Colonial Rehabilitation (First Acceptance) O

Joseph Allen Collmar, 48 – massage therapist / insurance fraud – $6,614 - Bedford Medical Chiropractic (First Acceptance) O

Alisha Chantell Longie, 23 – fake ins card (MGA / Seminole Casualty) T

Livan Gallo Martinez, 31 – staged acct 10/23/12 (recruiter) $41,849 – All X-Ray Diagnostic Services / Murphy Health Center / Tapia’s Rehabilitation Center / YH Imaging (Geico / Kingsway Amigo) M

Latonya Nakole Brown, 34 – fake ins card (Workmen’s Auto) T

Leslie Ann Lowe, 47 – staged acct 05/04/11 (passenger) $25,905 - KJ Chiropractic (Geico) O

Arrested in Apr 2013

Edilberto Paz Amaya, 33 – Tampa Rehab Center (Farmers / Nationwide) T

Code – B (Broward) F (Ft Myers) J (Jacksonville) M (Miami) O (Orlando) P (Pensacola) TL (Tallahassee) T (Tampa/St Pete) W (West Palm Beach)

Copy goes her. Editor’s Corner On page 1, we cover the latest arrests in Operation Sledgehammer.

On page 2, we present PIP Fraud in the News, including the arrest of a Ft. Myers chiropractor.

On page 3, we feature another fugitive in Insurance Fraud’s Most Wanted.

As always, we report on the latest PIP-related arrests.

Page 7 June 2013

PANHANDLE REGION Counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Tallahassee Field Office - 850.413.3115 Lt. Ernie STOLL Pensacola Field Office - 850.453.7802 Capt. David LINDSAY

NORTH REGION Counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Union

Jacksonville Field Office - 904.798.5802 Capt. Brian McCOY Lt. Kevin JONES

WEST CENTRAL REGION Counties: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota

Tampa Field Office - 813.972.8602 Capt. Michael BYRNE Lt. Carlos ROSARIO Lt. Darrell WILSON

Fort Myers Field Office - 239.278.7527 Lt. Mark FRITZ

EAST CENTRAL REGION Counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia

Orlando Field Office - 407.835.4402 Capt. Glen HUGHES Acting Lt. Laquanda GREEN Lt. Paul MEYERS

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION Counties: Broward, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, St. Lucie

Plantation Field Office - 954.958.5402 Capt. John DYGON Lt. Bill LEE West Palm Beach Field Office - 561.837.5601 Lt. Evangelina BROOKS

SOUTH REGION Counties: Dade, Monroe

Miami Field Office - 305.536.0302 Capt. Steven SMITH Lt. Violeta SERRANO Lt. Stanley JEAN-FELIX Lt. Rafael DELGADO

South Florida Major Medical Fraud Task Force Supervisory Special Agent Fred Burkhardt 847.544.7141 Central Florida Major Medical Fraud Task Force Supervisory Special Agent Jose Olivier 813.558.6387

HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE PROTECT YOUR HOME BASE

BE PREPARED, BE SAFE

Statewide PIP Contacts