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60 PEOPLE CHARGED IN STAGED CRASHES SCAM IN YORK REGION

The following article was posted by the Toronto Sun. First posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 04:26 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 04:44 PM EST.

TORONTO - More than 200 charges have been laid against 60 people for allegedly staging crashes in York Region and submitting nearly a million dollars in fraudulent insurance claims.

York Regional Police say the accused, some of whom work in the medical and legal professions, were busted during a two-part investigation dubbed Project Sideswipe.

The first stage of the operation focused on those who were involved in nine collisions that the Insurance Bureau of Canada concluded in August 2010 were staged, police revealed Tuesday.

IBC investigators estimate the insurance industry lost $850,000 from the nine incidents, which involved allegedly false medical billings from several medical rehab and assessment centres in Brampton, Toronto and Mississauga.

“As of Dec. 13, 51 suspects had been arrested and 201 charges, including conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, fraud under $5,000, fraud over $5,000 and obstruct police officer, have been laid,” police said.

In September, the second stage of Project Sideswipe was launched focusing on those who “allegedly operated a criminal organization responsible for submitting false claims in relation to the nine staged collisions.”

Another nine people have so far been arrested on 41 charges, including participating in a criminal organization, possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000 and money laundering, police said.

Rick Dubin, the IBC’s vice-president of investigative services, called Project Sideswipe “a significant step in the fight against insurance fraud,” which is estimated to cost Ontario’s insurance industry between $769 million to $1.6 billion annually.

He claims those arrested in the second stage of the investigation for “generating suspected false insurance claims” have ties to medical assessment centres, injury treatment clinics, legal services offices and auto repair shops.

“For the first time, we see medical practitioners allegedly operating at private, for-profit medical clinics included in the charges,” Dubin said in a statement released Tuesday, adding Project Sideswipe “shows the problems are widespread.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/18/60-charged-in-staged-crashes-scam-in-york-region

Footnote: By ,Toronto Sun