Three Florida women have been arrested after being accused of orchestrating a fraud scheme involving staged car crashes and fraudulent medical insurance claims.
The arrests followed a five-month investigation by Miami-Dade Police into Wise Care Clinic, a Hialeah-based medical clinic. The suspects, identified as Maray Arteaga (39), the clinic’s owner; Elizabeth Montero (45), a licensed therapist; and Heidy Gonzalez-Perez (26), the clinic receptionist, face multiple charges, including racketeering and filing fraudulent insurance claims.
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According to investigators, the clinic orchestrated staged car crashes and then recruited individuals to claim injuries that did not occur. Participants in the staged crashes would visit the clinic and sign paperwork for medical services that were never provided.
“They were promised approximately $2,500 for their involvement,” said police spokesperson Detective Luis Ramirez. “In turn, the clinic would fraudulently bill auto insurance companies for non-existent medical services.”
The investigation began on July 31, 2024, after a staged accident in Northwest Miami-Dade. Police say the individuals involved in the crash identified the clinic as the orchestrator of the scheme.
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The suspects appeared in bond court on Tuesday. Arteaga, identified as the clinic’s owner, faces 25 counts of filing false insurance claims, while Montero and Gonzalez-Perez face 54 charges each, including racketeering.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the clinic on Monday, leading to the arrests. Arteaga’s arrest affidavit revealed that the National Insurance Crime Bureau flagged a fraudulent insurance claim filed by two accomplices connected to a staged crash.
Police describe this case as part of a larger operation and anticipate additional arrests.
“This is an ongoing investigation,” said Detective Ramirez. “We expect to make more arrests in connection with this scheme as early as tomorrow.”
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