Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced the arrest of five people for participating in a car crash scheme that investigators say was designed to defraud insurance companies.
The suspects arrested by the Financial Services Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division were identified as Yumilca Meléndez Pagan, Yancenia Diaz, Miraimi Gonzalez Acosta, Alfredo Ernesto Finney Estrada, and Vidal Jose Rojas Barbas.
According to the Department of Financial Services, the case began after an insurance company reported a suspicious vehicle accident to law enforcement authorities. The first two suspects arrested were allegedly involved in a single-vehicle accident in which a car crashed into a tree. Investigators said they have since collected evidence and obtained confessions that show the crash was staged and planned in advance.
“A gradual collapse is a dangerous plan that puts innocent lives at risk at the expense of someone else’s economic interests,” Ingoglia said. “These criminals who sought to exploit the system for their own gain will face retribution for their actions. There is no place for fraud in Florida.”
The other three suspects worked at a physical therapy clinic in Miami, where they allegedly obtained blank physical therapy forms and filed accident-related claims for services not provided, authorities said. Investigators said $30,936.80 was stolen in the scheme.
Rojas Barbas and Meléndez Pagan were arrested on April 20, 2026, and charged with orchestrating a staged accident, state officials said.
Diaz and Finney Estrada were arrested on April 30, 2026, and Gonzalez Acosta was arrested on May 4, 2026. They were each charged with insurance fraud, grand theft and organized fraud scheme.
If convicted, the suspects could face up to 20 years in prison.
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.
