Five Florida attorneys and five of their accomplices are accused in a patient-brokering scheme that brought in more than $500,000 in profits.
Broward Sheriff's officials said in a news release that the arrests were made Sept. 6 following a two-year investigation by the Organized Crime Unit.
The investigation revealed that several personal injury attorneys were paying people to unlawfully solicit unsuspecting vehicle accident victims to make insurance claims for damages or personal injury benefits.
Authorities arrested the following South Florida attorneys:
- Adam Hurtig, 46, of Fort Lauderdale
- Alexander Kapetan, 44, of Lighthouse Point
- Vincent Pravato, 48, of Davie
- Steven Slootsky, 57, of Boca Raton
- Mark Spatz, 58, of Davie
And the following solicitors:
- Joaquin Barreda, 39, of Plantation
- Mark Eskin, 62, of Boca Raton
- Richard Kist, 36, of Jupiter
- Elvira Perchitti, 53, of Port St. Lucie
- James Perchitti, 61, of Port St. Lucie
Investigators say the attorneys paid the solicitors on a per-client basis, and then referred the accident victims to a health care facility in exchange for cash kickbacks of $1,500 to $2,500 per patient.
Each suspect faces numerous charges, including organized fraud, criminal solicitation and patient brokering.Officials say the group received more than $521,000.