Walter Martinez, 60, of Alta Loma, Calif. pled guilty to 43 felony counts of using cappers – recruiters paid from victims’ insurance settlement – to get clients for his practice.
Martinez evidently his scheme with at least three cappers.
“The use of cappers is a problem because these individuals usually approach accident victims acting as an attorney with no training and give legal advice to people when they are vulnerable after a collision,” California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement.
The Department of Insurance Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force received information and documentation that indicated Martinez was using cappers. In this case, bank records showed that more than $250,000 in checks were written to the alleged cappers between 2009 and 2012.
Martinez was sentenced to one year in jail, followed by three years felony probation and a $91,000 fine.
Two of the cappers sentenced were: Israel Gonzales, 34, of Rancho Cucamonga, who plead guilty to eight counts 750(a) IC; an Michael Melcher, 58, of Covina, who plead guilty to two counts 750(a) IC.
Topics California
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