A group of six individuals, said to have been running a sham from an auto body shop in Everett, have been formally indicted on multiple charges of insurance fraud and related crimes. In a combined effort by District Attorney Marian Ryan, Everett Chief of Police Steven Mazzie, and the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau's Chief of Investigations, Katherine Mulligan, the announcement was made following what has been revealed as a two-year-long investigation into the fraudulent activities at Riviera Auto Body, which operated under the moniker FT Auto. The charges are severe, with allegations suggesting the participants falsified insurance claims exceeding $1 million dollars.
According to a press release by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, the ringleaders, Fabio Rodrigo Jordao Correa, 31, of Saugus, and Jhon Alexander Lopera Munera, 40, of Revere, orchestrated the submission of numerous false insurance claims, skilfully crafting tales of phantom car accidents and grossly exaggerated vehicular damage to hoodwink unsuspecting insurance carriers. Dramatic claims appear to have been concocted with ferocity, some detailing collisions that never happened, others describing inflated damage, and even incidents of sabotage where damage was cunningly inflicted by the shop itself.
Three of the individuals, Jose Manuel Gordon, 49, of Roxbury; Tabajara Alves Ribeiro, 23, of Saugus; and Wanda Greene, 56, of Revere; have been uniquely charged. Gordon with conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200 and receiving stolen property, Ribeiro solely with the conspiracy charge, and Greene holds the distinct notoriety for being charged with receiving a bribe as a public employee, among other related accusations. The details of Greene’s involvement paint a picture of corruption within the Revere RMV branch, where she allegedly performed illicit RMV queries and transactions for Lopera in exchange for electronic payments and gift cards, as outlined in the indictment.
Twin fugitives, Edwin Alexander Lopera Munera, 33, of Pawtucket, RI., and the aforementioned Jhon Alexander Lopera Munera, are still at large, believed to currently be in Colombia, avoiding the reach of Massachusetts law enforcement. Their complicity in the scheme to defraud insurance carriers of a hefty sum includes charges of larceny, theft, and bribery of a public employee, to elaborate just a few points, according to authorities. A scheduling hearing, aiming to determine a trial date and additional procedures, is on the docket for today. Assistant District Attorney Graham Van Epps stands at the helm of the prosecution.
The community of Everett and the State of Massachusetts are left to grapple with the repercussions of such a surreptitious breach of trust. As the case unfolds, the defendants will face their day in court, where the Justice system will endeavor to ensure that such orchestrations of deceit do not pay off in the end.
