Washington, March 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A gang of 36 Russians has been arrested in New York for allegedly running a $279-million insurance fraud involving fake car accident victims, corrupt doctors and lawyers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said.
Doctors who were members of the scheme opened over 100 fake clinics across New York that provided treatment to purported crash victims who were allegedly paid up to $10,000 a month “to show up once a week just to sign referrals”, the FBI said in a statement.
The lawyers involved in the scam advised the phony patients on what injuries to claim in order to boost the insurance payments.
The criminal scheme exploited New York’s “no-fault” vehicle accident law that guarantees up to $50,000 for victims.
New York attorney Preet Bharara called the scam “the largest single no-fault automobile insurance fraud ever charged”.
If found guilty, the defendants face jail terms ranging between 30 and 70 years.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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