Sentence Handed Down For Erie Fraudster

Man Staging Auto Accidents Gets Parole, Forced to Pay Restitution

An Erie, CO, man convicted of operating a fraud ring involving 10 other people and more than 20 insurance claims was sentenced to restitution and parole. Edgar Rodriguez was spared prison time only because he had already served the minimum six months for his sentence between his arrest in October and his sentencing in June. He was ordered to repay $37,000 that he netted from the case in restitution.

Rodriguez plead guilty to two counts of insurance fraud and three counts of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Both crimes are third-degree felonies.

Others began catching on to Rodriguez's fraudulent behavior when several claims regarding his 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan were deemed to be suspicious by a Geico Insurance investigator. The investigator contacted Lt. John McCall, who is responsible for investigating insurance fraud for the Erie Police Department.

McCall said that despite the overwhelming amount of information, the investigation became quite clear once he was able to view the pictures of the vehicle from case to case. "Once I started comparing the photos, that really did it," described McCall.

As many as 21 bogus insurance claims claims between 4 different companies were filed by Rodriguez. Geico, State Farm, Progressive, and Nationwide were among the brands affected. The claims resulted in a total of 15 instances of fraud, 3 of which were Rodriguez acting alone and the other 12 involved an accomplice of some sort.

Though his crimes fell within the aggravated parameters of the sentencing guidelines, President Judge Ernest J. DiSantis Jr. indicated that Rodriguez's guilty plea and lack of a prior criminal record were considered during the sentencing process. Defense attorney Kevin Kallenbach blamed his client's apparent drug addiction as the driving factor that led Rodriguez to start the insurance fraud outfit.

If you are injured in a car accident in the greater Denver area, please call the Law Offices of Robert Paysinger at (303) 279-0221 for a free initial consultation. We help injured people - It's all we do!

Source: Erie man sentenced for fraud in case of staged auto accidents