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TRENTON
- Attorney General Stuart Rabner and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that two Paterson residents have been sentenced
for their involvement in a staged accident
insurance fraud scam.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Iris Ojeda, 44, and Felix Nieves,
55, were each sentenced on Friday by Superior
Court Judge Nester F. Guzman in Passaic
County to serve three years probation and
pay $2,050 in restitution and a $2,500 civil
penalty. The defendants were sentenced pursuant
to their guilty pleas to third-degree health
care claims fraud, charges contained in
a Jan. 13, 2006 state grand jury indictment.
In
pleading guilty on Jan. 18, the defendants
admitted that between Feb. 2, 2000 and May
9, 2001, they agreed to stage an automobile
accident and file false insurance claims.
An investigation determined that the defendants
underwent MRI testing and multiple visits
to a chiropractor in order to submit phony
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and bodily
injury insurance claims worth more than
$25,000 to Robert Plan/GSA Insurance. Iris
Ojeda submitted claims for more than $10,900
for injuries purportedly sustained; Nieves
submitted more than $10,800 in claims; and
Iris Ojeda’s daughter, Sacha Ojeda,
27, also of Paterson, submitted more than
$5,000 in claims. Upon receiving the fraudulent
billings, Robert Plan/GSA referred the case
to the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
for further investigation.
As
part of the investigation, Sacha Ojeda,
27, who was charged in the same indictment,
pleaded guilty on Jan. 29 to third-degree
health care claims fraud. She is scheduled
to be sentenced on March 30.
State
Investigators Jose Vendas and Johnny Ho,
and Deputy Attorney General Dennis Kwasnik
were assigned to the investigation. Kwasnik
represented the Office of Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor at the sentencing.
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