Small Law Firms

Watch Out South Florida Lawyers -- The FBI Is Looking At You

Five attorneys have been arrested so far...

By  
on

If you’re a personal injury attorney in South Florida, you’d do well to make sure all your dealings are as above board as possible. There’s an ongoing insurance fraud investigation that’s already nabbed five attorneys, and authorities say the probe is widening.

Earlier this month, the Broward County Sheriff’s office arrested five attorneys on a panoply of felony charges related to an insurance fraud sting. Authorities in Florida put together a multi-agency investigation into personal injury attorneys they believe orchestrated insurance fraud. Now the FBI has gotten involved in the case, and, as Law.com reports, law enforcement expects more arrests are on the way:

“This is still an ongoing investigation and there will be more arrests made in the future,” said Detective Kristy Frederick, the Broward Sheriff deputy who led the local investigation with Detective Mike Freeley.

Attorneys Adam Hurtig, Alexander Kapetan, Vincent Pravato, Steven Slootsky, and Mark Spatz — despite have no disciplinary history in the last 10 years — were arrested on September 6 in conjunction with the investigation. The evidence authorities have seems… problematic for the defense:

“I have all five of the attorneys that were arrested on audio and video taking monetary kickbacks,” Frederick said.

The lawyers allegedly participated in a scheme in which they would pay tow truck drivers, auto repair workers, and others between $500 and $1,500 for personal injury referrals. Authorities also alleged the attorneys worked with health care clinics to file fraudulent motor vehicle tort and personal injury protection claims.

In addition to these kickback charges, Hurtig also allegedly diverted his clients’ settlement funds:

Sponsored

“Attorney Adam Hurtig not only engaged in the illegal solicitation and brokering of his clients, but … he took the criminal activity further by misappropriating his clients’ settlement funds,” Frederick wrote. “Hurtig took part in an ongoing course of conduct with the intent to defraud his clients, whereby he engaged in an undisclosed split-fee arrangement with Broward Spine Associates and/or Margate Physicians, and covertly accepted a portion of his clients’ settlement funds as kickbacks.”

The big takeaway of any legal ethics class is: don’t steal from your clients. That’s just basic lawyering.

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

Sponsored

Topics

, , ,