Insurance agent indicted in fake insurance case
A Milford woman was indicted yesterday on charges she and a man stole valid information from Massachusetts driver’s licenses and used that information to create fraudulent commercial auto insurance policies for people who could not obtain them.
Virgin Lima, 41, of Milford, a licensed insurance agent in Brighton, is suspected of issuing several fraudulent commercial vehicle insurance policies for unlicensed people on behalf of a Somerville car salesman.
A Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments against Lima, charging her with five counts of motor vehicle insurance fraud, two counts of accepting gifts to influence business affairs, five counts of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and five counts of larceny over $250. she is expected to be arraigned April 13.
Authorities believe Wanderson Silva, 31, of Malden, orchestrated the fraudulent policies. he is charged with 12 counts of motor vehicle insurance fraud, nine counts of stealing a driver’s license, three counts of accepting gifts to influence business affairs, 12 counts of larceny over $250 and five counts of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.
Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Attorney General’s Office arrested Silva Thursday in Quincy. he was held overnight and arraigned yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail. he is scheduled to be back in court on April 13.
In June 2009, the Attorney General’s Office began an investigation after the alleged scheme was referred to them by the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau.
Officials believe Silva promised his customers insurance policies if they bought their vehicles from his dealership. Authorities allege he then got help from Lima, who worked at Brighton Insurance co. in Brighton, to provide the policies using valid licenses of unsuspecting former customers. Both Silva and Lima accepted payment from those clients to create the fraudulent policies, authorities allege.
Investigators discovered Lima allegedly created 12 fraudulent commercial auto policies between January 2006 and January 2008.