Passaic residents Ariel Ballista, 27, Jonathan Damian, 26, Harold Gross, 29, in conjunction with Paterson residents Husayn Encarnacion, 35, Jenny Encarnacion, 33, were arrested two weeks ago on charges of conspiracy, insurance fraud and theft by deception. Olivares R. Liberato-Cohen, 45, of Passaic County was issued a separate summons.
The New Jersey State Attorney General announced that the accused were involved a staged accident scheme in which Liberato-Cohen with passengers Damian, Gross and Jenny Encarnacion, drove his Dodge Caravan into “an unindicted co-conspirator” driving a Dodge Avenger with Ballista as a passenger. Husayn Encarnacion is accused of helping to recruit his wife, Jenny.
The scheme took place on April 25th, 2009, and defrauded Mercury Insurance Group and Plymouth Rock Assurance of more than $78,000 after Liberato-Cohen, Ballista, Gross, Damian and Jenny Encarnacion visited “designated medical providers” and submitted claims. Both the medical providers and the accused received medical reimbursement payments and bodily injury settlements, according to an article on northjersey.com.