Six people have been indicted in connection with the alleged filing of false and fraudulent insurance claims through their business, Riviera Auto Body, located on Bow Street in Everett, Mass.
Four of the defendants have been arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court, according to the announcement made by District Attorney Marian Ryan, Everett Chief of Police Steven Mazzie, and Chief of Investigations of the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau Katherine Mulligan.
The alleged insurance fraud is said to have bilked insurance carriers out of more than $1 million.
During a two-year investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Office, the Everett Police and the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau, authorities learned that an auto body shop, FT Auto or Riviera Auto in Everett, was allegedly scheming to defraud multiple insurance carriers.
Operating for multiple years, the scheme was allegedly masterminded by defendants Jhon Lopera and Fabio Correa, the investigative agencies said.
The defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent insurance claims for customers of the shop to defraud insurance carriers of more than $1 million in payments.
The false claims included descriptions of automobile collisions that never occurred, inflated damages, or damage that was inflicted by the shop and was not the result of a collision.
Those involved used the alias of the defendants or stolen identities.
Jose Manuel Gordon, 49, of Roxbury, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200 and one count of receiving stolen property.
Tabajara Alves Ribeiro, 23, of Saugus, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200.
Wanda Greene, 56, of Revere, was charged with receiving a bribe as a public employee, receiving unlawful gratuities as a public employee, and receiving improper compensation as a public employee.
Two other individuals were indicted by the grand jury and are fugitives. They are:
Jhon Alexander Lopera Munera, 40, of Revere, charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200, six counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of common and notorious thief, 15 counts of false or fraudulent insurance claims, one count of bribery of a public employee, one count of giving unlawful gratuities to a public employee, and one count of promising or offering improper compensation to a public employee.
Edwin Alexander Lopera Munera, 33, of Pawtucket, RI, charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200.
Both are believed to be in Colombia.
As part of the scheme, defendant Lopera allegedly cultivated a relationship with defendant Greene, who was a clerk at the RMV branch in Revere and performed RMV queries and transactions at Lopera’s request and received electronic payments and gift cards from Lopera as compensation for her services to him, the joint agency press release stated.
Fabio Rodrigo Jordao Correa, 31, of Saugus, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200, six counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of common and notorious thief, eleven counts of false or fraudulent insurance claims, and one count of identity fraud.
A scheduling hearing was held on Monday. The Assistant District Attorney assigned to this case is Graham Van Epps.