Broward, Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison for Insurance Fraud

Fraud ring staged auto accidents to collect on insurance claims

September 14, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – A Broward woman convicted of conspiring to commit insurance fraud and grand theft was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 10 years probation, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced. Tamara Taylor was found guilty for her participation in a staged accident ring that defrauded three major insurance companies of more than $100,000. In addition to her participation in the insurance fraud, Taylor was also accused of fabricating evidence in the case to avoid sentencing. She and her co-conspirators were prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

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“Not only did this group of people put themselves in harm’s way to fraudulently collect from insurance companies, this woman tried to cheat her way out of trouble by accusing her mother of wrongdoing. This is a particularly deplorable situation, one we are glad to see resolved with justice,” said Attorney General McCollum.

According to authorities, the insurance scam in which Taylor was involved faked numerous automobile accidents to collect claims money. Conspirators would either run their vehicles into stationary objects or would stage a collision between two vehicles and report the resulting injuries. Claims were then made to the insurance companies under their Personal Injury Protection coverage. State Farm Insurance, Allstate Insurance and Geico Insurance were targeted by the scam. Taylor and seven co-conspirators were arrested in 2005.

A Broward County jury convicted Taylor in May on charges of conspiracy to commit organized fraud and second-degree grand theft. Days before a previously scheduled sentencing trial, the Attorney General’s Citizen Services Division received an anonymous letter, claiming Taylor had been falsely accused and that Taylor’s mother was responsible for the charges. When the letter was received in Tallahassee, the Office of Statewide Prosecution was alerted and through the Department of Insurance Fraud was able to obtain video footage of Taylor faxing the letter from a South Florida convenience store. The evidence was taken into account at the sentencing hearing.

Today’s sentence was handed down by Judge Peter Weinstein of the 17th Judicial Circuit. In addition to her prison sentence, Taylor must pay nearly $68,000 in restitution to Geico. State Farm and Allstate are being reimbursed by Taylor’s codefendants. Taylor’s codefendants have all pleaded guilty to similar charges and were previously sentenced. The investigation was jointly conducted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud.

Source: Florida Attorney General