The owner of a San Jose, California collision repair shop, his wife, and sixteen others have been charged with an insurance fraud scam during which they staged 15 car accidents to collect about $150,000 in fraudulent claims.
According to allegations by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the auto insurance fraud ring intentionally damaged cars, using some models several times. One aging Pontiac was used in three separate “accidents” over a single year.
The defendants face felony fraud charges and could face prison time, if convicted. Gerardo Ivan Espinosa Martinez, 31, who owns Espinosa Body Shop in San Jose,