Florida Officials Arrest Man on Personal Injury Protection Fraud Charges

Florida officials arrested a Palm Beach County man on Personal Injury Protection insurance fraud charges, according to Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

Last week’s arrest concludes the arrest of four South Florida residents on charges they perpetrated a PIP fraud scheme.

Werbs Prevot, 25, of Lake Worth, is accused of participating in a staged traffic accident, Sink said. After the accident, bodily injury claims were submitted to Republic Western Insurance Co., and to date, Republic Western has paid $32,511.33 in expenses related to this staged accident claim, Sink reported.

Prevot, arrested March 10, is charged with one count of insurance fraud, a third degree felony, and could face up to five years in prison if convicted, according to Sink.

The charges stem from investigations by the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud, a sworn statewide law enforcement agency responsible for the investigation of insurance fraud.

Sink said insurance fraud in Florida has been estimated to cost Floridians as much as $1,400 a year per person.

Source: Florida Department of Financial Services