Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced the arrests of five people accused of taking part in an alleged staged motor vehicle collision scheme that investigators say was designed to defraud an insurance company.
The suspects arrested by the Department of Financial Services’ Criminal Investigations Division were identified as Yumilka Melendez Pagan, Yancenia Diaz, Milaimi Gonzalez Acosta, Alfredo Ernesto Phinney Estrada and Vidal Jose Rojas Balbas.
According to the Department of Financial Services, the case began after an insurance company reported a suspicious vehicle incident to investigators. The first two suspects arrested were allegedly involved in a one-car crash in which a vehicle struck a tree. Investigators said they later gathered evidence and obtained confessions indicating the crash had been staged and planned in advance.
“Staged crashes are dangerous schemes that put innocent lives at risk at the expense of someone’s financial gain,” Ingoglia said. “These criminals who tried to exploit the system for their own greed will face repercussions for their actions. There is no room for fraud in Florida.”
Authorities said three other suspects worked at a physical therapy clinic in Miami, where they allegedly obtained blank physical therapy forms and submitted claims connected to the crash for services that were never provided. Investigators said the scheme resulted in $30,936.80 being stolen.
Rojas Balbas and Melendez Pagan were arrested on April 20, 2026, and charged with orchestrating a staged accident, according to state officials.
Diaz and Phinney Estrada were arrested on April 30, 2026, and Gonzalez Acosta was arrested on May 4, 2026. Each was charged with insurance fraud, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud.
The suspects face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years if convicted.
The case will be prosecuted by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
The Department of Financial Services encourages anyone with information about suspected insurance fraud to report it through FraudFreeFlorida.com.
