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Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Announces Arrest of Five Suspects Following Staged Motor Vehicle Collision Scheme

5/18/2026

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Video courtesy of the Office of Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. To watch video, click here or above. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Today, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced the arrest of five suspects following an alleged staged motor vehicle collision scheme. The suspects arrested by the Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division (CID) were Yumilka Melendez Pagan, Yancenia Diaz, Milaimi Gonzalez Acosta, Alfredo Ernesto Phinney Estrada and Vidal Jose Rojas Balbas, an illegal alien. Each of these individuals is facing charges with the intent of defrauding an insurance company by billing for non-existent injuries.

 
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, “Staged crashes are dangerous schemes that put innocent lives at risk at the expense of someone’s financial gain. These criminals who tried to exploit the system for their own greed will face repercussions for their actions. There is no room for fraud in Florida, and there is no room for criminal illegal aliens. My investigators will continue to identify and arrest these fraudsters.”
 
The investigation was initiated by CID following a tip received from an insurance company regarding a suspicious vehicle incident. The first two suspects arrested were involved in a one car accident where the vehicle collided into a tree. CID investigators gathered evidence and obtained confessions from the suspects stating that the accident was staged and pre-planned.
 
The other three suspects were employed at a physical therapy clinic in Miami, where they allegedly obtained numerous blank physical therapy forms and submitted claims from the accident for services not rendered. In total, the individuals stole $30,936.80.
 
Vidal Jose Rojas Balbas, an illegal alien, was arrested on April 20, 2026. He has been charged with orchestrating a staged accident.
  
Yumilka Melendez Pagan was arrested on April 20, 2026. She has been charged with orchestrating a staged accident.
  
Yancenia Diaz was arrested on April 30, 2026. She has been charged with insurance fraud, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud. 

Milaimi Gonzalez Acosta was arrested on May 4, 2026. She has been charged with insurance fraud, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud.
 
Alfredo Ernesto Phinney Estrada was arrested on April 30, 2026. He has been charged insurance fraud, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud.

These suspects face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years.
  
Prosecution of this case falls under the jurisdiction of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. The Department of Financial Services encourages anyone with knowledge of insurance fraud to report it at FraudFreeFlorida.com | Florida Department of Financial Services.

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About the CFO
Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia serves as the state’s top financial watchdog, a member of the Florida Cabinet, and the head of the Florida Department of Financial Services. As CFO, he oversees billions of dollars in state funds and is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars, strengthening Florida’s fiscal health, and delivering essential services that support the state’s excellent economy. As State Fire Marshal, CFO Ingoglia also works every day to support Florida’s first responders as they risk their lives to serve and protect communities across the state.

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