CFO Jimmy Patronis Announces Arrest of Former Miami-Dade School Bus Employee in $50,000 Insurance Fraud Scheme

MIAMI, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Shawanna Latisha Aaron, a former Miami-Dade County School bus driver, for allegedly filing numerous fraudulent insurance claims and collecting approximately $50,000.00 from the alleged scheme. This case is part of an ongoing investigation in which 12 other Miami-Dade School bus employees were arrested in June 2019 for defrauding Aflac Insurance Company of more than $426,000.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “As your CFO, I am committed to holding those who look to defraud Floridians accountable and it is especially reprehensible when criminals use the personal information of their dependents in fraud related schemes. Fraud increases insurance rates for families across Florida and I appreciate the continued hard work of my fraud detectives to bring scam artists to justice.”

An investigation by CFO Patronis’ Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud detectives revealed that from October 2016 to July 2018, Aaron filed over 10 fraudulent insurance claims along with supporting documents for cash payment reimbursement from Trustmark and Aflac Insurance Companies for approximately $50,290.00. Aaron submitted medical records as well as billing documents in support of the claims to show that she and her dependents were injured, obtained medical treatments and were billed for such treatments. During the investigation, it was determined that the claim documents were altered and fraudulent documents with no such treatments or billings. Aaron was confronted with the evidence and confessed to the fraud.

Aaron self-surrendered to detectives on February 9, 2021 and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center in Miami for false and fraudulent insurance claims, organized scheme to defraud, and grand theft. If convicted, she could face up to 40 years in prison. Individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty.