Florida CFO nabs pair for fraud

BRADENTON — Two men were arrested for an alleged personal injury protection fraud scheme in Manatee County, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

The department, through its division of insurance fraud, charged Nerber A. Iglesias, 40, and Michael Borkowski, 42, with eight counts of patient brokering, a release states. The suspects allegedly submitted almost $40,000 in fraudulent insurance claims to six insurance companies. Iglesias and Borkowski were both being held in Hillsborough County Jail as of Nov. 2. They each face up to five years in prison if convicted of the charges.

The arrests were part of an undercover personal injury protection (PIP) fraud scheme sting. “This investigation is a prime example of the organized nature of PIP fraud rings in Florida,” Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater says in a release. “Those who cheat the system to make a buck are stealing from every honest Floridian. I applaud the hard work of our fraud investigators and the chiropractor who worked with us from the inside to bring these criminals to justice.” '¨
The investigation reveals that Iglesias allegedly approached a Sarasota chiropractor about becoming the straw owner of an entity named 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 release states.

Borkowski, a local body shop owner, later contacted the chiropractor, who was working undercover. Borkowski, according to the release, made arrangements to provide accident patients to the clinic for a fee. Garden Relief Center then submitted the alleged fraudulent claims.

Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, sponsor of 2012 PIP legislative reforms, joined law enforcement on the investigation. “Every dollar of insurance premiums stolen by criminals is a dollar taken away from honest Floridians,” Boyd says in the statement. “I was proud to see Florida's anti-fraud efforts first hand, and I commend CFO Atwater's leadership on this issue.”