An Oxnard charlatan has copped to dueling with the truth in a desperate bid to hoodwink an insurance titan, authorities said. Eric Ramirez, age 32, from Oxnard, California, admitted guilt to a felony charge of automobile insurance fraud this Monday, as per the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

In what unraveled as a misguided gamble, Ramirez found himself bereft of insurance during a traffic mishap in August 2022 and in an attempt to backpedal, secured coverage from Progressive Insurance Company only to concoct a fable shortly thereafter, claiming the wreck took place after he purchased his policy. An investigation by the California Department of Insurance in conjunction with Progressive disclosed that the timeline Ramirez peddled was a fallacy and Progressive had been bilked.

The wheels of justice are now set in motion as Ramirez gears up for his sentencing on June 5, 2024, at the Ventura County Superior Court, where he may face a road to incarceration that could span a five-year stretch in county jail, in addition to a fine swelling to either $50,000, or twice the fraud amount, whichever sum races ahead.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Frawley of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Auto Insurance Fraud Unit took the wheel in the prosecutorial proceedings, ensuring that the case did not skid off course while the conclusion of this legal collision could reverberate through the courthouse at a 9:00 a.m. showdown in courtroom 11, marking a pit stop in Ramirez's legal odyssey.

Addition information on Ramirez's charges can be gathered from the official press release by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.