APRIL 1, 2015
DENVER, COLORADO
The leader of a Colorado insurance fraud ring was sentenced
Wednesday.
Mike Tee, 41, will spend 18 years in the Department of
Corrections for masterminding a criminal ring that stole insurance money by
staging automobile accidents. He was indicted on 31 felony counts in April
2013.
Tee and his associates would claim both vehicle damages and
bodily injury in fake accidents to collect insurance payouts. As part of some
of the thefts, Tee and the others claimed the vehicles they owned were stolen,
when in fact they were not and insurance companies ultimately paid more than
$80,000.
An investigation by the Attorney General's Office also
proved that Tee committed identity-theft by illegally possessing the credit
card information of more than 100 cardholders, which was used to buy $21,000
worth of auto parts, retail equipment and furniture.
The jury found Tee guilty of theft, conspiracy, computer crime,
identity theft, attempting to influence a public official, criminal
impersonation and attempted theft.