Avellino – A veritable "system" for defrauding companies, built on traffic accidents that never occurred, with a fixed script and a cast of actors and witnesses recruited specifically for the purpose.
The Avellino Prosecutor's Office dismantled it, in an operation that led to 135 people being placed under investigation. Three orders of house arrest were issued, signed by investigating judge Mauro Tringali at the request of prosecutor Domenico Airoma.
The two alleged masterminds of the organization were placed under house arrest: brothers Antonello and Massimo Leone, a lawyer and the owner of an insurance agency, respectively, both residents of Quindici. With them was Giuseppe Graziano, a 45-year-old from Taurano.
They face the most serious charges: criminal conspiracy to commit an unspecified series of insurance frauds, ideological and material forgery, and false testimony.
According to investigators at the Lauro police station, led by Deputy Commissioner Elio Iannuzzi, the three were the masterminds of a well-established criminal scheme. "They procured, even for a fee, individuals willing to act as actors or witnesses in the false accidents," the order states. Not only that, they also found the vehicles to be declared involved and the places to hide them while awaiting expert inspections.
The cast, once recruited, played their parts.
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Many accidents always followed the same pattern: the names that recurred were often the same, family members testifying on behalf of their relatives, people involved in multiple accidents in a short time frame, identical injuries.
The investigation, sparked by this tip, has revealed an even broader picture. In addition to the three arrested, six other lawyers and two doctors have been targeted by the Prosecutor's Office. The lawyers are accused of representing "injured" victims, submitting compensation claims for non-existent accidents to insurance companies, complete with all the necessary documentation.
The two doctors, however, allegedly certified "the continuation and worsening of the consequences resulting from road accidents that never occurred," thus providing "medical support" to the fraud machine.
For the two doctors, however, investigating judge Tringali did not consider there sufficient evidence to apply a precautionary measure, rejecting the prosecutor's requests after questioning.
For all the other suspects—the 135 people who allegedly pretended to be victims or provided false testimony—the defense phase is now underway. Many of them, according to the prosecution, were lured by the promise of compensation because they were in need.
The investigation's consequences aren't just criminal. The investigating judge also ordered the revocation of 30 driving licenses, a measure that directly affects those who provided their vehicle or personal details for the "script" of the fake accident.
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