A 46-year-old man was convicted Friday in a Jacksonville insurance fraud scheme after accidents were staged and “victims” treated at a licensed massage therapy clinic, according to the State Attorneys’ Office. A jury convicted David Rodriguez Lopez on charges of schemes to defraud over $50,000, false insurance claims over $100,000 and knowingly participating in an intentional car crash, prosecutors said.
Lopez was the behind-the-scenes owner of Indian Rehabilitation Center, which operated from March through October 2012 at 3636 University Blvd. S. The investigation discovered that insurance companies were bilked out of at least $228,000 after people were recruited to stage accidents, then get treatment for non-existent injuries, according to the State Attorney’s Office.