ATTORNEY ARRESTED IN INSURANCE FRAUD.Byline: Janet Gilmore Daily News Staff Writer A Sherman Oaks attorney has been arrested on suspicion of masterminding an auto fraud ring that crashed and rear-ended its way into $20 million in bogus claims, authorities said. Representatives from the state Department of Insurance and the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. District Attorney's Office said Tuesday that the ring deliberately caused more than 100 collisions. Ring members would trigger crashes by suddenly braking in front of unsuspecting motorists, forcing rear-end accidents, authorities contend. ``Not only did these phony claims and staged collisions rip off the public,'' said Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush Charles "Chuck" Quackenbush (born 1954) is a Florida law enforcement officer and former California politician. He served as Insurance Commissioner of California from 1995–2000 and as a California State Assemblyman representing the 22nd District, from 1986–1994. , ``they placed innocent lives in danger. ``That is why not only will they stand trial for insurance fraud, they will stand trial for attempted assault with a deadly weapon Assault with a Deadly Weapon is the term used to describe the act of threatening to harm one or more people by using a weapon (usually a firearm). Here, assault must be differentiated from battery as they are often confused. Assault is threatening to use force. ,'' he added. Officials said the pivotal suspect is Noel S. Olshan, a 54-year-old Playa playa or pan or flat or dry lake Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. del Rey Del Rey may refer to:
Authorities contend Olshan hired the drivers who caused the accidents, then represented them in claims against insurance carriers. Authorities said he also sent them to a chiropractor chiropractor a practitioner in chiropractic. chiropractor A health professional trained in chiropractic; chiropractors do not perform surgery or prescribe drugs; of 50,000 licensed chiropractors in the US, many practice 'straight' chiropractic, ie who produced bogus medical reports. Insurance commission officials believe the group has been together since 1988, bringing in an average of $10,000 to $20,000 per claim. Most of the accidents occurred in the South Central area of Los Angeles, generally targeting commercial trucks because such vehicles almost always are insured, officials said. Olshan, who is free on $5 million bail, could not be reached for comment. He was charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, assault with a deadly weapon (a car), and unlawfully referring legal claims. Two others who are suspected of causing the collisions were arrested on conspiracy charges. They are Darryl Thornton, 39, of Monrovia and Oliver Morgan Oliver Morgan (May 61933 - July 312007[1]) was a R&B singer from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. History Morgan was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans alongside Fats Domino, Jessie Hill and Smiley Lewis. , 48, of Inglewood. A third suspected driver died in an unrelated traffic accident in January. |
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