Reporters Notebook

In a fraud suit against lawyers and medical clinic operators in Massachusetts, Liberty Mutual and Metropolitan Life Auto & Home have reached settlements awarding the insurers $1.8 million in restitution. The insurers had filed the civil suit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in 1999. The case alleged that the defendants had operated corrupt medical clinics, hired runners and cappers, and offered kickbacks to attorneys. The separate settlements involve four of the defendants, Magdalena Dino, Jerico Dino, Thea Javier, and Allan S. Perez. Previously, the four had pleaded guilty to criminal charges of mail fraud and conspiracy filed by the Federal United States Attorney’s office.