Investigators with the CDI Organized Auto Fraud Interdiction Task Force arrested a Rio Linda, Calif. woman, along with her former common-law husband and his brother-in-law on multiple charges of auto insurance fraud and conspiracy.
On Oct. 28, 2002, Helena Marie Walker, 38, and Floyd Russell Smith, 40, were arrested at their residences, while Ricky Dale Lewis, 35, through various leads, was locat-ed and arrested at a North Sacramento business.
On April 11, 2002, the Nationwide Property and Casualty Company Special Investigations Unit contacted CDI’s Fraud Division with information that Walker had reported being injured in a collision in Sacramento on Nov. 26, 2001.
Lewis, Walker’s common-law husband, confessed he was the driver at the time of the collision. Lewis stated that following the collision he spoke to the other drivers and then walked away from the scene to call Walker. Walker arrived within minutes with Lewis’ brother-in-law, Smith, and purportedly told Lewis that she would take care of everything. Walker allegedly had Smith switch jackets with Lewis to distract the witnesses.
Walker then walked over to her vehicle, took out the insurance information, and contacted a Sacramento Police Officer that had just arrived on scene. She allegedly told the officer she was the driver of her vehicle and had been badly injured. Walker was then transported, via ambulance, to a hospital.
Walker’s insurance claim was denied by Allied Nationwide Insurance Companies, which could have resulted in a potential loss of $5,000. If convicted, each could face up to five years in state prison and/or a maximum fine of $50,000.
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