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.
The Largest Residential Burglary of All Time
Post 5407
Fraud & the Fear of Bad Faith Suits
Posted on July 22, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gWQQEySW and at https://lnkd.in/gyhdK6wv
This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud explaining why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is one of a collection designed to help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the Perpetrators than any Other Crime.
This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud explaining why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is one of a collection designed to help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the Perpetrators than any Other Crime.
After ...
Chutzpah is not Enough
Post 5397
Posted on July 20, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the video and at https://lnkd.in/gNUs2XzT and at https://lnkd.in/g2MawyzX
Magistrate Issues a Search Warrant if there is a Fair Probability that Contraband or Evidence of a Crime will be Found in a Particular Place.
In United States Of America v. Frank Suess, et al., CRIMINAL No. 3:24-308, United States District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania (July 16, 2026) a federal grand jury indicted Frank Suess, Melissa Driscoll, and others in a 55-count health care fraud and anti-kickback prosecution arising from an alleged scheme involving medically unnecessary prescription “foot baths.”
As part of the investigation, the FBI obtained an August 19, 2022 warrant to search Driscoll’s Sterling Pharmacy Yahoo email account for emails from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. Driscoll moved to suppress the resulting evidence, arguing that the warrant lacked probable cause, was overbroad, and rested on material misstatements and omissions.
LAW:
The ...
Fraud Shouldn’t Pay
Post 5396
See the video and at https://rumble.com/v7ctgmq-the-great-jewel-theft.html at https://youtu.be/aRbQ2sJfGwA
This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud explaining why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is one of a collection designed to help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the ¬¬¬Perpetrators than any Other Crime.
The Insured purchased, for the first time in his life, a policy of Personal Articles Floater Insurance (PAF) scheduling $125,000 worth of ladies jewelry. He advised the insurer that the jewelry was always kept in a class E safe at his residence. He also told the insurer that he was employed full time as the owner of a gasoline service station and that he had never been canceled or suffered a previous loss.
One month after the policy was ...
Bad Faith Suit Fails After Insurer Declares Policy Void
Posted on August 14, 2026 by Barry Zalma
State Farm Must Try Breach of Contract Claim Only
Post 5424
Breach of Condition is Ground to Deny Claim and Void Policy
In Arutyun Darakchyan v. State Fann General Insurance Company et al., No. 2:25-cv-03880-CAS-AJRx, United States District Court, C.D. California (August 11, 2026) Plaintiff Arutyun Darakchyan sued State Farm General Insurance Company after State Farm denied his homeowners burglary claim for losses allegedly sustained at his Tarzana residence.
Plaintiff reported that burglars entered through a kitchen window while he and his family were away, claimed stolen property totaling more than $83,000, and submitted proof-of-loss materials, inventory lists, photos, alarm records, phone records, and later appeared for an examination under oath.
State Farm assigned the claim to its special investigative unit, questioned the timing and duration of the reported burglary, requested additional documents and records, ...
Declaratory Relief Was Neither Unnecessary Nor Improper Under The Circumstances
Post 5423
Posted on August 13, 2026 by Barry Zalma
In Fox Paine & Company, LLC, et al. v. Twin City Fire Insurance Company et al., S287404, Supreme Court of California (July 27, 2026) Fox Paine & Company, LLC, Saul Fox, and related entities sued excess insurers after a long-running dispute between the Fox and Paine factions generated substantial litigation costs.
FACTS
The issue arises here after a dispute between former colleagues at an investment firm led to lengthy — and expensive — litigation.
Insurance is sometimes procured in a series of layers, with an insured acquiring a primary insurance policy that provides an initial layer of coverage. The insurance tower included a $10 million primary policy followed by four $10 million excess layers.
Plaintiffs allege that:
1. they suffered a loss;
2. the loss is covered by specific policy provisions described in the complaint;
3. they submitted "virtually all of their invoices" to defendants, ...
Guilty of Misprison of a Felony Admitted by Owner of Insurers
Posted on August 12, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Second Trial of Coram Nobis Relief Fails
Post 5422
Coram Nobis is an Extraordinary Remedy
In United States Of America v. David Judd Disiere, Criminal Action No. 99-151-SDD-SDJ, United States District Court, M.D. Louisiana (August 10, 2026 David Judd Disiere was convicted in 2000 after pleading guilty to misprision of a felony under 18 U.S.C. § 4 in connection with allegations involving a scheme to influence the resolution of an investigation into insurance companies he owned.
He was sentenced to probation and a fine, did not directly appeal, and completed probation in 2003. After an earlier unsuccessful postconviction challenge, Disiere filed a second petition for writ of error coram nobis in 2024, claiming his plea was coerced by prosecutors’ threats relating to an employee allegation, that those threats were concealed from the court, that his counsel was ineffective, and that the factual basis did...
