Former NFL Player Accused In Car Insurance Fraud Ring
RIVERSIDE (CBS13) - Authorities say a former NFL wide receiver was busted on suspicion of staging car crashes to collect insurance money.
The California Department of Insurance says 34-year-old Jeffrey Leon Webb, along with eight conspirators, is accused of staging four different collisions. The group allegedly purposefully crashed cars into poles or curbs to collect insurance money.
Detectives began investigating Webb and his group after one of the insurance companies started getting suspicious. The crashes only caused minor damage to the cars, authorities say, but Webb and his conspirators would always request medical assistance.
Webb is suspected to be the ringleader of the operation. Authorities say Webb was the one who collected the bulk of the money paid out by the insurance companies -- said to be more than $139,000 in losses.
"Organized crime rings are responsible for the majority of staged collisions, which are costly to insurers and consumers," said California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones in a release. "California is ground zero for staged auto collisions."
Webb, an Indio resident, played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006-2008. He had a total of 36 catches for 382 yards and 1 touchdown over his career, according to ProFootballReference.com.
