Owner of Motor Sports in Somerville arrested for insurance fraud

Owner of Motor Sports in Somerville arrested for insurance fraud

 

Auto Insurance Quotes : Owner of Motor Sports in Somerville arrested for insurance fraud

An auto repair shop in Somerville’s Boynton Yards neighborhood was allegedly causing damage to cars brought in for service to extract more money from insurance companies.

Motor Sports Inc. is located in a one-story cinderblock building on Columbia Street, in a neighborhood filled with junk yards and used auto part dealers.

According to the State Police, the shop’s owner, Michael Block, had caused extra damage to more than 80 vehicles that had been brought into his shop. The 38-year-old Natick man apparently spent the weekend in jail, as he was arrested on Friday and released on $1,000 bail after his arraignment on Monday.

Block was charged with several counts of insurance fraud, malicious destruction of property, forgery, uttering a false document and larceny, according to a State Police press release. According to his filing with the state, Block had been in business since 2007.

Block rented space within a garage and kept a disheveled desk with a photo of the 2008 New England Patriots Cheerleaders hanging above it, and a photograph taken from the movie, “The Godfather.” The auto-body shop owner who rented him space in the garage agreed to allow a reporter to see the space on the condition that his legitimate business was not mentioned in an article about the fraud.

It is unclear whether the car owners participated in the alleged scheme and investigation is ongoing, said State Police spokesman David Procopio.

Generally speaking the way the scheme would work is cars would be damaged in accidents, and then they would be busted up even more so that the damager would exceed the deductible threshold or make the insurance company declare the car “totaled,” Procopio said. Both of those outcomes would mean more money for the car owner. Block would presumably be paid more for the extra repairs, as well.

The investigation began eight months ago with information obtained from the Cambridge police, who then cooperated with Somerville and Lynn police, as well as the National Insurance Crime Bureau, MetLife Auto and Home insurance company and the Governor’s Auto Theft Task Force, the press release said.


Posted by Nikkei 225 at 10:10
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