MELISSA MONTOYA, MMONTOYA@NEWS-PRESS.COM
August 14, 2015
Five Naples residents have been charged with defrauding auto insurance companies of more than $2 million.
The five individuals were involved with operating chiropractic clinics that defrauded automobile insurance companies, according to the a news release by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida.
According to the news release, those charged are:
Garry Joseph, 36, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud
Nesly Loute, 51, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud
Wisler Cyrius, 34, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering
Anouce Toussaint, 32, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering
Sijames Melus, 32, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.
The clinics involved in the indictment are Parkway Medical and Rehab LLC and Collier Chiropractic Center. The indictment said Joseph and Melus paid licensed health care practitioners to allow their names to be used in official documents. The two clinics defrauded auto insurance companies by submitting claims of services to accident victims treated at the clinic. The fraud occurred between October 2012 and February of this year. In some circumstances, the services never occurred or were not needed.
Between June 2013 and February of this year, Cyrius, Loute, and Toussaint are charged with filing fraudulent claims at Tamiami Pain and Rehab LLC, First Choice Pain and Rehab Inc. According to the news release, the conspirators tried to get others to participate in stages car accidents in exchange for money. Cyrius and Toussaint planned to launder the proceeds from their fraud.