MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL - A news article posted on local10.com reports that a former bus driver from the Miami-Dade County school district has been arrested and charged with collected approximately $50,000 by filing several fraudulent insurance claims. According to Jimmy Patronis, Florida's Chief Financial Officer affirmed the arrest of the suspect on Wednesday.
According to the news report from Florida's Chief Financial Officer's office, the criminal case originates from a continuing investigation concerning twelve other Miami-Dade County school bus employees who were arrested back in June 2019 for purportedly swindling Aflac Insurance Company of over $426,000.
Patronis stated that he is committed to holding people accountable for defrauding Floridians, and cases such as these are particularly reprehensible when thieves use their children's personal information and family members in fraud schemes. Patronis said that fraud increases the insurance rates for Florida families, and he appreciates the hard work of his fianciañ fraud detectives to bring these "scam artists to justice."
The Bureau of Insurance Fraud detectives and Mr. Patronis' Division of Investigative and Forensic Services state that the suspect filed ten fraudulent insurance claims from October 2016 until July 2018.
Law enforcement authorities stated that the suspect also submitted billing documents and medical records to support the fraudulent insurance claims. The falsified records stated that her dependents suffered injuries, received medical treatments, and were charged for such medical treatments.
However, the investigating detectives stated that they found out that the claim documents were altered and no billings or treatments had occurred. The detectives stated that the suspect did confess to the fraud when the suspect was confronted with the evidence they had against her.
The suspect turned herself into law enforcement on Tuesday, and she was processed and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She has been charged with making fraudulent and false insurance claims, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud. If she is convicted, she could receive up to 40 years in prison.
The suspect's arrest occurred months after the suspect was arrested for purportedly crashing into her car and leaving the accident scene while leaving her 15-year-old son inside her motor vehicle.
The accident occurred during the Labor Day weekend, and the suspect was taken into police custody back in November.