Ringleader caught in auto fraud scheme

Keith Aaron Hayes was arrested on four counts of auto insurance fraud after a two year investigation revealed he allegedly conspired with others in the filing of false insurance claims.

The conspirators included Lynnette Ammons, who, in August 1998, filed a claim with Coast National Insurance Company for an alleged hit-and-run collision. Ammons and her passengers were compensated for injuries sustained. Ammons then filed a second claim with Coast National stating she was involved in another collision on Feb. 26, 1999, driving the same vehicle involved in the 1998 collision.

The driver of the other vehicle, Devorea Wilson, revealed that he was approached by Hayes who allegedly promised a way for Wilson to secure repair for his vehicle, which was actually damaged in a separate unrelated collision.

Wilson allegedly conspired with Hayes to file a false claim to his insurance company, Reliant General Insurance, for the Feb. 26, 1999 collision.

Vehicle inspection photos of Ammons’ Toyota Celica, taken after the second collision, were compared to photos from the 1998 collision and reflected no change in damage. Ammons’ vehicle was seized as evidence in the investigation.

A Los Angeles Police Department collision reconstruction expert inspected the photos and vehicle and confirmed that a collision between Ammons’ vehicle and Wilson’s vehicle did not occur, noting no change in damage to Ammons’ vehicle after the 1998 collision.

Hayes, also known as Jamil Shabazz, was previously arrested and convicted of insurance fraud in 1993 and sentenced to four years in state prison for that conviction.

The four Los Angeles residents, Ammons, Wilson, and co-conspirators Anthony Graham and Vita McNair were previously convicted of insurance fraud in this investigation.

Topics Auto Fraud