Tampa Med Clinic Owner Charged with Staging Crashes and $970,000 in False Claims

The owner of a Tampa medical clinic has been charged in a scheme that staged auto accidents then submitted more than $970,000 in falsified insurance claims, Florida authorities said.

Angela Ippolito Duncan, owner of Ybor Medical and Wellness Center, was booked into the Hillsborough County jail on Tuesday on multiple fraud and racketeering charges. Florida’s chief financial officer said an investigation found that Duncan helped orchestrate staged crashes near the clinic, then coached participants on what to say to insurance adjusters.

Duncan, 72, also had crash participants sign some 30 medical forms for treatments that never happened, CFO Jimmy Patronis’ office said in a statement. She also allegedly recruited an undercover police detective to participate in a staged accident, provided passengers for the vehicles and directed them to seek treatment at her clinic, not far from downtown Tampa.

If convicted of all charges, she could face as much as 30 years in prison.

The investigation into the alleged fraud ring included investigators from the Florida Department of Financial Services, Nationwide Insurance and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office will handle the prosecution.

Topics Claims