According to Insurance Journal and Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Marc Elefant, a New York attorney, officially pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud late last month for his role in a massive trip-and-fall insurance fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain over $31 million in insurance payouts.
The indictment highlights that Elefant, among others, were engaged in the arrangement of staged trip-and-fall accidents at New York City area businesses, with over 400 “patients” who were encouraged and/or paid “to receive ongoing chiropractic and medical treatment from certain chiropractors and doctors,” in conjunction with a slew of fraudulent lawsuits.
The article states, “Two other defendants — Adrian Alexander, the owner of a litigation funding company, and Sady Ribeiro, a pain management doctor and surgeon — pled guilty earlier this year. Alexander pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in August. Ribeiro pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in September.”
Insurance Journal writes, “As part of their plea agreements, Ribeiro agreed to forfeit $513,005 and to make restitution in the amount of $3,928,133 while Alexander agreed to forfeit $659,001 and to make restitution in the amount of $3,928,133, according to officials. Ribeiro is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2023. Alexander is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2022.”
Elefant will forfeit $955,281 and pay $1,486,000 in restitution, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2023.
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