Two more arrests were made as a result of a personal injury protection (PIP) fraud scheme in Manatee County involving patient brokering. The arrests of Nerber A. Iglesias, 40, and Michael Borkowski, 42, were the result of an undercover sting, according to an announcement made by Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.
According to the Claims Journal report:
An investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud revealed that Iglesias approached a Sarasota chiropractor about becoming the straw owner of Garden Relief Center, LLC. The chiropractor contacted law enforcement and, under the direction of the department, applied for a clinic exemption certificate to begin operating the facility. The chiropractor, working undercover, was also contacted by a local body shop owner named Michael Borkowski, who made arrangements to provide accident patients to the clinic for a fee. During the course of the investigation, Garden Relief Center submitted almost $40,000 in fraudulent insurance claims to six different insurance companies.
The full article is available here.
Reports indicate that Wagner, who operated Wagner Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic on North Ridgewood Avenue, has been under investigation since 2009 when auto insurers began reporting the provider for billing services that were never performed. Investigators discovered Wagner was committing insurance fraud and illegally distributing drugs by using the Drug Enforcement Administration number and name of another physician. Wagner was not permitted to prescribe drugs as he was a chiropractor and not a licensed Florida medical doctor.
Fernando L. Roig, Esq.
Mark J. Rose, Esq.
Michael A. Rosenberg, Esq.
