THE SOURCE FOR THE INSURANCE FRAUD PROFESSIONAL
Posted on June 1, 2026 by Barry Zalma
ZIFL – Volume 30, Issue 11 – June 1, 2026
Post number 5361
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 30th 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/ This issue contains the following articles about insurance fraud:
Arson for Profit is a Violent Crime
Court Reporter’s Failure Causes Challenge to Conviction
Conviction for Murder by Arson Survives
In The People v. Joseph A. Meyers, 2026 NY Slip Op 03261, No. 44, New York Court of Appeals (May 26, 2026) both Mr. and Mrs. Meyers were indicted on multiple charges of murder, arson and fraud.
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf
He Who Acts as His Own Lawyer Has an Idiot for a Client
Arsonist Tried To Represent Himself, Failed, and Sought Habeas Relief
Karacson’s Arson for Profit Attempt Required Skill & Experience to Succeed
In Steve Ellis Karacson v. David Shaver, Warden, No. 25-1089, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (May 20, 2026) Steve Karacson was convicted in Michigan state court of arson and insurance fraud after evidence showed he burned his own insured home.
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf
MORE MCCLENNY MOSELEY & ASSOCIATES ISSUES
This is ZIFL’s forty-fifth 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. This is truly becoming a never-ending story.
Note that the attorneys for the plaintiffs are the plaintiffs Jason Joy & Associates, PLLC d/b/a Jason.
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf
Proactive Insurer Makes a Fraudster Pay
Defaulting Fraud Perpetrator Lets Insurer Defeat Fraud
In Transamerica Life Insurance Company v. John Joseph Egan, et al., No. 25-cv-06167-JD, United States District Court, N.D. California (May 12, 2026)
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf.
Health Insurance Fraud Convictions
Pharmacy Technician Pleads Guilty to $5.6M Health Care Fraud Scheme and Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone
Ali Naserdean, 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, by billing for prescription medications that he never dispensed and providing unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
Naserdean pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and possession with intent to illegally distribute oxycodone.
Read the full article, dozens of convictions, and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf.
Jury Sides With Insurers, Finding Takeda Pharmaceutical Liable for $885 Million in Damages
Takeda Pharmaceutical was found liable for causing about $885 million in damages by delaying a generic version of its constipation drug Amitiza through an anticompetitive scheme.
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf
Insurers & The Government Work Together to Defeat Fraud
Insurer Fights Back Against No-Fault Clinic Mills
Fraud Doesn’t Pay When Insurers Fight Back
Other Than Health Insurance Fraud Cases
Utah Jury Convicts Business Owners of Fraud after Victims Were Scammed More than $30M
After a five-week trial, a federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against multiple defendants for their participation in a nationwide scheme to defraud victims out of more than $30,000,000 by inducing them to invest in Noah’s Event Centers.
Read the full article plus multiple convictions and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf
Insurance Attorneys Turn the Defense of a $1M Hail Claim into Nearly $2M Suit for Contractor Interference
What began as an appraisal controlled by a contractor working against Church Mutual Insurance Company on a $1 million-plus claim dispute turned into an award of $115,000 for the church, $282,000 for fraud to the carrier and awarded $823,000 in punitive damages. against a contractor because a jury found the contractor intentionally interfered with the insurance contract and caused the litigation.
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ZIFL-06-01-2026.pdf
Barry Zalma, Barry Zalma, Inc., 4441 Sepulveda Boulevard, CULVER CITY CA 90230-4847, 310-390-4455.
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders. He also serves as an arbitrator or mediator for insurance related disputes. Subscribe to Excellence in Claims Handling at https://barryzalma.substack.com/welcome.
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
Post 4846
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
Post 5489
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 ...
Inadequately Briefed Issues Defeats Appeal
Post 4852
Issues on Appeal Must be Adequately Briefed
Posted on September 25, 2026 by Barry Zalma
In Emy Ojekwe v. Connecticut Transit District Consortium, No. AC 47389, Court of Appeals of Connecticut (September 22, 2026) Emy Ojekwe alleged that he was injured on September 24, 2020, while leaving a bus operated by Connecticut Transit District Consortium, doing business as Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority.
According to his complaint, the wheelchair ramp began to rise before he had fully exited, causing his wheelchair to fall backward and allegedly injuring several parts of his body and damaging the wheelchair. The defendant denied negligence and alleged comparative negligence. After a two-day jury trial in November 2023, the jury returned a defense verdict.
The trial court denied Ojekwe’s motion to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, and he appealed.
LAW
A trial court’s refusal to set aside a verdict because of counsel’s improper remarks is reviewed for abuse of ...
Inadequately Briefed Issues Defeats Appeal
Post 4852
Issues on Appeal Must be Adequately Briefed
Posted on September 25, 2026 by Barry Zalma
In Emy Ojekwe v. Connecticut Transit District Consortium, No. AC 47389, Court of Appeals of Connecticut (September 22, 2026) Emy Ojekwe alleged that he was injured on September 24, 2020, while leaving a bus operated by Connecticut Transit District Consortium, doing business as Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority.
According to his complaint, the wheelchair ramp began to rise before he had fully exited, causing his wheelchair to fall backward and allegedly injuring several parts of his body and damaging the wheelchair.
LAW
Refusal to set aside a verdict because of counsel’s improper remarks is reviewed for abuse of discretion.
Appellate claims receiving only cursory treatment, without record citations, supporting authority, or legal analysis, are inadequately briefed.
DISCUSSION
Improper opening remarks.
Defense counsel referred to Ojekwe’s national origin,...
Psychiatrist Who Was Convicted of Fraud Asked the First Circuit to Reduce his Punishment
Post 4851
Posted on September 24, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Fraud to Private and Public Health Insurers Doesn’t Pay
In United States v. Gustavo Kinrys, Nos. 24-1592, 24-1716, United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit (September 21, 2026) Gustavo Kinrys, a Massachusetts psychiatrist, submitted fraudulent claims to private and public health insurers from 2015 through 2018, including bills for more than 1,000 sessions when he or the purported patient was outside the country. When insurers requested supporting records, he delayed through a fictitious office manager and created false documentation.
A jury convicted Kinrys on fourteen counts. The district court imposed a 99-month sentence, calculated intended loss at slightly more than $19 million based on billed amounts, ordered $6,537,309.59 in restitution, and ordered $6,527,391.19 in forfeiture.
At sentencing, the district court calculated Kinrys’s base offense level to be ...
