State Attorney Details 14 Arrests In Massive Insurance Fraud Case

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The jig is up for more than a dozen people who were arrested in an organized auto insurance fraud scam involving accidents that never happened.

State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle presided over a press conference on Tuesday, detailing the arrest of 14 people involved in what her office calls a massive auto repair insurance fraud case.

"These fourteen individuals are allegedly in an auto insurance scam with an unusual twist," said Fernandez Rundle. "That twist involves fake auto damage claims with the same car from accidents that never happened."

The scam included phony car accidents and fraudulent insurance claims, all greased through the system by two hustlers and claim adjusters who worked for Geico Insurance, scamming the company out of $528,000.

They often used pictures of the same car with the same damage.

"These arrests focus on actual insurance company employees," Fernandez Rundle said. "Claim adjusters who were an essential part of this insurance scam."

According to investigators, the ringleaders recruited individuals to call in the claims and at times provide a car or car VIN numbers that were supposed to be damaged.

Photographs of supposedly damaged cars were provided to the insurance company.

"Sepp Lewis Tevini and Estevenson Dorval are the organizers," said Fernandez Rundle.

According to police, Lewis Tevini represented the body shops involved and is charged with multiple counts of racketeering, organized fraud, and grand theft.  Police say Dorval recruited phony accident victims.

According to law enforcement, Juan Carlos Diaz, who was a Geico insurance claim adjuster, conducted the phony inspections and issued checks.

Cesar Santiago Tapanes, also a Geico adjuster, approved fake claims and collected kickbacks.