A Kennewick man was sentenced to 31/2 years in federal jail for insurance coverage fraud conspiracy for a staged automobile crash after which conspiring to hinder an FBI investigation.
Ali Abed Yaser falsely accused a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and one other individual of soliciting a bribe in an try and cease the investigation of the insurance coverage fraud scheme.
U.S. Decide Mary Okay. Dimke additionally ordered Yaser, 52, on Thursday to pay about $127,000 in restitution and a judgment of almost $20,000. He faces three years probation after being launched from jail.
She stated that Yaser engaged in a “concerted and devoted effort to undermine the credibility” of the FBI.
His actions “undermined the fame of that company and the group’s capability to have belief and religion within the justice system as an entire,” she stated.
Yaser’s crimes have been “severe, advanced and extremely orchestrated,” based on U.S. District Courtroom paperwork. “Insurance coverage fraud is a severe crime that impacts society within the type of increased insurance coverage premium.”
He pleaded responsible, as one in all 23 defendants within the fraud case, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; conspiracy to commit well being care fraud; conspiracy to hinder an official continuing; making false statements inside jurisdiction of the chief department; and two counts of mail fraud.
Attorneys with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for Jap Washington had requested for a sentence of 4 years and three months, and Yaser had requested for a sentence of two years , 11 months.
Federal investigators say in Might 2019 Yaser now not needed to make the month-to-month automobile funds on his 2014 Lexus IS so he staged a automobile accident.
His spouse, grown son and two minor daughters and at the very least two different co-defendants, Ameer R. Mohammed and Seiffedine Al-Kinani, additionally have been concerned, based on courtroom paperwork.
Mohammed deliberately crashed a 2009 Hyundai Sonata into the Lexus on a rural highway close to the Tri-Cities, after Yaser made certain none of his relations have been nonetheless within the Lexus, based on courtroom paperwork.
Fraudulent insurance coverage claims
Yaser then informed his relations to hunt medical look after nonexistent accidents and retained a legislation agency to file fraudulent claims on behalf of his son and daughters.
He informed insurance coverage firms that his spouse, son and daughters had suffered neck, shoulder and left leg accidents that required medical remedy and bodily therapies.
He additionally claimed in an insurance coverage firm interview that he took the worst of the impression.
He stated he needed to cancel a number of enterprise orders on the roofing firm he owns due to his accidents and had to make use of a cane to stroll.
Two insurance coverage firms paid out almost $127,000 associated to the staged crash.
Yaser obtained about $34,500, which included bodily harm settlements and collision protection. His two daughters every obtained $5,000.
His Lexus was taken to salvage, and he bought it again and bought it for $5,000.
Yaser thought he was within the clear till a 12 months after the staged crash, when the FBI searched his residence together with different residences in Washington state and California, based on courtroom paperwork
“When confronted with the invention of his fraud scheme, Mr. Yaser doubled down,” stated Richard Collodi, particular agent in command of the FBI’s Seattle subject workplace.
FBI agent falsely accused
He suspected one of many individuals who had helped him with the automobile crash insurance coverage fraud was working as an FBI informant so he falsely accused that individual and an FBI agent of asking him for $20,000 to make the case go away.
He recruited one other individual, who was really working with the FBI as a confidential informant, to secretly file conferences with the suspected informant so Yaser may later tamper with the recordings.
He additionally solicited the individual he didn’t know was working as a confidential informant to lure the suspected informant to a storage after which flip off the safety system so Yaser may “end him off,” based on a courtroom doc.
Yaser is an Iraqi refugee who arrived in the USA to make his residence in Kennewick about 13 years in the past and have become a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2016.
He has no prior felony convictions however did have a fourth-degree home violence gross misdemeanor that was dismissed after he accomplished a two 12 months continuance.
“Mr. Yaser was a revered member of Kennewick’s Iraqi group,” stated his lawyer, Craig Webster, in a courtroom doc. “He typically opened his home to host spiritual and group gatherings.”
A number of members of the Iraqi group despatched the choose letters of help for Yaser.
Webster additionally stated that Yaser has been apprehensive in regards to the well-being of his household through the 14 months he has been held within the Benton County jail.
“The place by which he has positioned them primarily based on his poor choices weigh on him closely,” Webster stated.
However federal attorneys wrote in a courtroom doc that Yaser’s “felony conduct demonstrates his lack of respect for the legislation, the police, medical personnel and the insurance coverage enterprise.”
“It appears he believes that when caught, it’s acceptable to mislead legislation enforcement, meet with others to align tales and even tamper with potential proof and witnesses,” they stated.
U.S. Legal professional Vanessa Waldref stated after the listening to that “efforts to hinder federal felony proceedings is not going to be tolerated.”
She additionally stated that staged accidents distract police from responding to authentic misery calls.
The case was prosecuted by George J.C. Jacobs, III, assistant U.S. lawyer.
