Case involves car accidents and allegedly false billings.
Police arrested five Orange County residents last month on insurance fraud and other charges involving car accidents and false billings, the state insurance commissioner announced Friday. Pre-trial hearings for all five are expected to be held this month.
"Today's announcement of multiple arrests illustrates that we will find fraud wherever it exists," Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said in a statement. "Our investigators are combing through the county, in search of those who seek to fleece the system. If you cheat the system, you could be next."
The arrests included:
James Toufic Assali, 32, of Irvine for allegedly billing his insurance company $5,235 for car rental payments to a company Assali owns. Assali was charged with three counts of insurance fraud and one count of attempted grand theft.
Cynthia Irvine, 43, of Irvine, for allegedly obtaining car insurance after causing an accident last June. Irvine then incorrectly reported the date of the accident to her insurance company, according to state officials. Her husband, Barry Irvine, 45, allegedly called the other party involved in the accident and asked them to also give the wrong date to their insurance carrier. Both were charged with three counts of insurance fraud.
Oscar Jimenez Godinez, 23, for allegedly crashing into a parked car last July and fleeing the scene. According to officials, after the accident Godinez reported his car as stolen to the Santa Ana Police Department and his insurance company. He was charged with four counts of insurance fraud, one count of hit-and-run with property damage and two counts of falsely reporting a crime.
Julie Jo Lagos, 29, of Brea, for allegedly purchasing an insurance policy last April just minutes after being involved in a hit-and-run collision. Lagos then misrepresented the time of the collision so she could claim the damages, officials said. She was charged with six counts of insurance fraud and one count of hit-and-run.
