Detective DeWayne White, Center. Courtesy, Florida Department of Financial Services
As the third most populous state, Florida has its share – and more – of fraud and crime, especially those involving insurance and financial services. It’s why we owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve as investigators in the Florida Department of Financial Services. This story is about one of them.
Insurance Fraud Detective DeWayne White was honored last week by the Department as one of eight Law Enforcement Officers of the Year for 2019. Detective White has shown his dedication to Florida insurance policyholders through his fight to reduce fraud in our State during his service in the Division of Investigative & Forensic Services (DIFS).
What started as a single case of identity theft, led Detective White to expose a massive insurance fraud circuit scamming throughout Central and South Florida. Those involved were swiping the identities and billing information of doctors in the region and using it to scam millions of dollars from two major healthcare providers in Florida. More than $40 million worth of claims were filed and more than $10 million were paid by the time Detective White had made his discovery.
Twelve people involved in the fraudulent scheme were arrested on charges of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), Fraudulent Insurance Claims, Money Laundering, Scheme to Defraud, and Criminal Use of Personal Identification. Hopefully this example of Detective White’s cunning and commitment to consumers serves to deter future fraud in our beautiful state.
See you on the trail,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 2-24-20
