Two Arrested for Vehicle Arson, Fraud

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced that CDI Urban Auto Theft Task Force investigators arrested two suspects on charges of arson of property, falsely reporting a crime and filing fraudulent insurance claims. Jose Tinoco, 33, of Sacramento, Calif., was arrested on July 10, 2007. Fredy Diaz, 25, of Stockton, Calif., was arrested on July 11, 2007.

On Jan. 27, 2007, Tinoco claimed that his vehicle was stolen from a Wal-Mart parking lot in Sacramento.The vehicle was found burned in the Lodi area that same evening. Tinoco said that after discovering that his vehicle was stolen, he called Diaz for a ride and also contacted the California Highway Patrol to report the theft. The CDI investigation revealed that both men were involved in the alleged theft of the vehicle. On June 7, 2007, Diaz and Tinoco confessed to staging the theft and arson of Tinoco’s vehicle. Both Diaz and Tinoco also implicated each other in the scheme.

Tinoco is charged with submitting a false insurance claim and falsely reporting a crime. Diaz is charged with presenting a false insurance claim and arson of property. Bail has been set at $35,000 for each of the men. If convicted, each could face up to five years in state prison and/or a maximum fine of $50,000. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

The CDI Organized Auto Fraud Interdiction Task Force (Urban Auto Theft Task Force) investigated this case. The task force includes representatives from the CDI Fraud Division, California Highway Patrol and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. The task force uses coordinated resources to investigate and prosecute organized auto insurance fraud.

Source: CDI