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The multi-state jurisdictional investigation that originated in Westchester County led to the arrests, 23 of whom were taken into custody in New York and New Jersey on Thursday, Nov. 7, with other suspects arrested in North Carolina, and Florida.
Among those arrested were five 911 operators and an NYPD police officer.
“Corruption, in all forms, is intolerable within the NYPD and we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to expose these sorts of schemes,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neil said in a statement.
It is alleged that 51-year-old Queens resident Anthony Rose - also known as “Todd Chambers” - the ringleader of the operation - and his co-conspirators bribed 911 operators, medical personnel and police officers for the confidential information of tens of thousands of motor vehicle accident victims.
The co-conspirators received approximately $3,000 per referral. The group allegedly made approximately 6,000 referrals beginning in 2014. In total it is believed the scheme netted them $18 million.
Using that information, Rose and his co-conspirators allegedly contacted victims, lied to them, and steered them to clinics and lawyers handpicked by Rose and his associates. These clinics and lawyers then allegedly paid Rose kickbacks for the referrals, which Rose distributed to co-conspirators as payments and bribes.
Others charged:
- Jelani Wray, 35, of Brooklyn;
- Nathaniel Coles, 66, of Cortland Manor;
- Tara Rose, 48, of Jamaica;
- Anthony Rose, Jr., 32, of Cambria Heights;
- Christina Garcia, 35, of Jersey City, New Jersey
- Luis Vilella, 32, of the Bronx;
- Leon Blue, 54, of Brooklyn;
- Clarence Facey, 34, of Brooklyn;
- Ana Rivera, 41, of Woodhaven;
- Dejhnea Brown, 29, of Saint Albans;
- Tonya Thomas, 48, of Brooklyn;
- Angela Melecio, 40, of Amityville;
- Stephanie Pascal, 47, of Brooklyn;
- Make Simmons, 29, of Bridgeport;
- Edward Abayev, 51, of Staten Island;
- Graciela Borrero, 42, of Brooklyn;
- Barrington Reid, 60, of the Bronx;
- Tonja Lewis, 53, of Belleville, New Jersey
- Raymond Parker, 41, of Newark, New Jersey
- Berlisa Bryan, 53, of Edison, New Jersey
- Angela Myers, 37, of Brooklyn;
- Latifah Abdul-Khaliq, 47, of Raleigh, North Carolina
- Shakeema Foster, 27, of Brooklyn;
- Kournei Williams, 33, of Brooklyn;
- Makaah Shabazz, 43, of Long Island City;
- Yaniris Deleon, of New York City
“Anthony Rose and his associates masterminded a brazen scheme that involved bribing 911 operators, medical personnel, and police officers for the confidential information of tens of thousands of motor vehicle accident victims,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said. “These actions have undermined the integrity of our emergency and medical first responders.”
Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., said the five-year investigation “is significant, and has exposed the systematic flaws in the no-fault insurance laws.”
“The nature of this fraud and bribery results in higher insurance premiums and unnecessary medical costs which impacts us all. Hopefully, this prosecution will act as a deterrent to those who seek to profit illegally by gaming the system.”
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