ZIFL – Volume 29, Issue 9
Posted on May 1, 2025 by Barry Zalma
See the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi0yFHFseG8 and at https://rumble.com/v6ss2an-zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-may-1-2025.html
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Happy Law Day
Law Day, held annually on May 1, is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.
Read the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
The Source for the Insurance Fraud Professional
Subscribe to the e-mail Version of ZIFL, it’s Free!
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 29th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year by ClaimSchool and is written by Barry Zalma. It is provided FREE to anyone who visits the site at http://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/ You can read the full issue of the May 1, 2025 issue at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/
ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf.
This issue contains the following articles about insurance fraud:
FRAUD DOESN’T PAY – IT COSTS
INSURANCE FRAUDSTER MUST PAY INSURER FULL RESTITUTION
Plaintiff Liberty Insurance Corporation (“Liberty”) issued a homeowners insurance policy to Defendant Jack Strunk that was active when his home was damaged by fire. Strunk made two insurance claims: one for fire damage and another for alleged theft of certain personal property after the fire. Strunk sued Liberty for the payment of the alleged damages. That case was removed to federal court and ultimately settled by Liberty paying $100,000 to Strunk.
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
It is not Nice to Lie to Your Insurer
Material Misrepresentation on Application Provides a Defense to Claim
Lies on Application for Insurance Eliminates Coverage for a Claim
Magna Tyres USA, LLC appealed the summary judgment in favor of Coface North America Insurance Company and against its complaint of breach of contract and request for a declaratory judgment. In Magna Tyres USA, LLC v. Coface North America Insurance Company, No. 24-13036, the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (April 10, 2025) determined the effect of a material misrepresentation on an application for insurance.
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
Health Insurance Fraud Convictions
Two Former Laboratory Sales Executives Sentenced To Federal Prison For Roles In Health Care Kickback Conspiracy
Stephen Kash, 51, of Winnie, Texas was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $779,773.70 in criminal proceeds. Courtney Love, 46, of Dallas, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $217,268.75 in criminal proceeds. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on April 24, 2025.
The two former laboratory sales executives were sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
MORE MCCLENNY MOSELEY & ASSOCIATES ISSUES
This is ZIFL’s forty-fourth installment of the saga of McClenny, Moseley & Associates and its problems with the federal courts in the State of Louisiana and what appears to be an effort to profit from what some Magistrate and District judges indicate may be criminal conduct to profit from insurance claims relating to hurricane damage to the public of the state of Louisiana.
Velawcity Allegedly Committed Barratry on Behalf of Lawyers
To Be Sued for Barratry in Texas the Court Must Have Jurisdiction
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
CONVICTIONS OF OTHER THAN HEALTH INSURANCE FRAUD
Defense Contractor’s Longtime Associate Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States
Thomas G. Ehr worked for or on behalf of a co-conspirator, a defense contractor who owned 50% of a business that supplied jet fuel to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Middle East. Ehr was hired to manage several music television and entertainment projects funded with proceeds from this business. Over time Ehr played a role in several of his co-conspirator’s other investments, including a $60 million real estate investment in Tulum, Mexico, and a $50 million fuel infrastructure project.
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
The Insured Must Produce Tax Returns If the First Party Insurer Demands Production
Every first party property policy contains a provision requiring an insured to produce all relevant documents required to be produced by the Insurer and to appear for examination under oath [California Insurance Code § 2071; NY Standard Fire Insurance policy].
Although there is no absolute privilege that protects tax returns and related documents from discovery, “due to the sensitive information contained therein and the public interest to encourage the filing by taxpayers of complete and accurate returns, their production should not be routinely required.” See Mitsui & Co. v. Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority, 79 F.R.D. 72, 80 (D.P.R. 1978).
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
How to Interview
The interview is an essential form of fact gathering for every type of human interaction. Interviews happen everywhere; they are performed by almost everyone. Interviewing is also an art, and the most effective interviews are conducted by those who are knowledgeable and skilled in this art.
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, Barry Zalma, Inc.,
4441 Sepulveda Boulevard
CULVER CITY CA 90230-4847
310-390-4455
[email protected], http://www.zalma.com, http://zalma.com/blog
Read this article and the full 22 page issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZIFL-05-01-2025.pdf
Insurance Expert May Not Testify to Speculative and Contains Unsupported Conclusions.
Posted on September 18, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the full video at and at https://rumble.com/v7fmifw-expert-may-only-testify-to-what-experience-supports.html
In Michele A. Over, and The Estate Of Paul R. Over v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, and State Farm Fire And Casualty Company, Civil Action No. 23-cv-02243-PAB-STV, United States District Court, D. Colorado (September 14, 2026) Michele and Paul Over sued State Farm Fire and State Farm Auto over hail-damage and stolen-vehicle claims.
The operative dispute concerned State Farm Auto’s motion to exclude or limit opinions from plaintiffs’ insurance-industry expert, Aaron Castillo. Castillo.
Law
The proponent of expert testimony must establish by a preponderance of the evidence that an expert is qualified and that the opinions are helpful, sufficiently grounded, and reliably derived and applied. Experience-based opinions must explain how the...
150 Months in Prison for Tax Fraud
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Posted on September 17, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/g8rh3JBX and https://lnkd.in/gmkdy-9C, In United States Of America v. Thomas Addaquay, Nos. 25-10609, 25-10611, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (September 9, 2026) the Eleventh Circuit affirmed all challenged convictions, the 150-month aggregate sentence, and the challenged $4,123,474.55 restitution award.
FACTS
In United States Of America v. Thomas Addaquay, United States Of America v. Thomas Addaquay, Nos. 25-10609, 25-10611, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (September 9, 2026) the Eleventh Circuit affirmed all challenged convictions, the 150-month aggregate sentence, and the challenged $4,123,474.55 restitution award.
FACTS
Thomas Addaquay controlled United Consolidated Accounting and Business Services (UC), nominally a check-cashing business.
The government proved a three-stage tax-refund scheme that converted the resulting refund checks into usable funds through ...
Major Fraud Perpetrator Asserts Fifth Amendment Privilege to Avoid Prosecution
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Posted on September 14, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Fraudster Refuses to Answer Questions About His Alleged Fraud
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gvicAMDr and at https://lnkd.in/gvicAMDr
In Great American Insurance Co. v. Gemstone Property Management, LLC, et al., No. 23-cv-9100 (LJL), United States District Court, S.D. New York (September 8, 2026) Great American Insurance Company alleged that it was defrauded through a scheme in which Subin Associates, LLP recruited individuals to stage construction-site injuries, arranged unnecessary medical treatment and litigation funding, and pursued fraudulent personal-injury claims.
Luis Manuel Garcia Salcedo, resulted in a $6 million settlement. Non-party Jose Hernandez allegedly worked as an assistant manager at Subin, operated Hernandez Associates, and owned litigation-funding companies that shared office space with Subin and provided services to its clients.
After Great American ...
Kindness in Sentencing is Often Abused and Probation Becomes Jail
Posted on September 21, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Post 4848
See the full video at and at at https://lnkd.in/gGJpiN_R and at https://lnkd.in/gb56mYsP
In State Of North Carolina v. Tia Allen, No. COA24-1010, Court of Appeals of North Carolina (September 16, 2026) Tia M. Allen pleaded guilty on 18 April 2022 to several offenses under a plea agreement.
On 6 February 2024, her probation officer alleged that Allen had paid nothing, failed to report, and incurred new criminal charges.
The court found all alleged violations, extended probation by 24 months, imposed five months’ confinement as special probation, required reporting after release, and ordered electronic house arrest.
LAW
A probation violation need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt; competent evidence must reasonably satisfy the trial judge that the defendant willfully violated a valid probation condition.
An in-court admission of a willful violation eliminates the need for ...
Kindness in Sentencing is Often Abused and Probation Becomes Jail
Posted on September 21, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Post 4848
See the full video at and at at https://lnkd.in/gGJpiN_R and at https://lnkd.in/gb56mYsP
In State Of North Carolina v. Tia Allen, No. COA24-1010, Court of Appeals of North Carolina (September 16, 2026) Tia M. Allen pleaded guilty on 18 April 2022 to several offenses under a plea agreement.
On 6 February 2024, her probation officer alleged that Allen had paid nothing, failed to report, and incurred new criminal charges.
The court found all alleged violations, extended probation by 24 months, imposed five months’ confinement as special probation, required reporting after release, and ordered electronic house arrest.
LAW
A probation violation need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt; competent evidence must reasonably satisfy the trial judge that the defendant willfully violated a valid probation condition.
An in-court admission of a willful violation eliminates the need for...
Kindness in Sentencing is Often Abused and Probation Becomes Jail
Posted on September 21, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Post 4848
See the full video at and at
In State Of North Carolina v. Tia Allen, No. COA24-1010, Court of Appeals of North Carolina (September 16, 2026) Tia M. Allen pleaded guilty on 18 April 2022 to several offenses under a plea agreement. The trial court consolidated the convictions, imposed an 11-to-23-month sentence,
On 6 February 2024, her probation officer alleged that Allen had paid nothing, failed to report, and incurred new criminal charges. At the 26 March 2024 hearing, counsel admitted Allen’s nonpayment but did not admit commission of the new offenses; the court did not inquire into the failure-to-report allegation.
Defendant did not deny this probation violation. Instead, when the trial court asked whether Defendant wanted to admit any of the alleged probation violations, Defendant admitted her ...