Another Guilty Plea in Pedestrian Accident Scheme

Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced that Tameka Goodwin, 30, of North Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to one count of Insurance Fraud, a category “D” felony. The crime was committed in July 2016.

Goodwin participated in a pedestrian accident scheme which allegedly involved presenting false claims to insurance companies claiming that a pedestrian was hit and injured by an insured’s motor vehicle. The accidents never occurred, but the claimants are alleged to have reported medical treatment to increase their chances of a higher settlement with insurance companies.

Tameka Nicole Green, a codefendant in this scheme, also pleaded guilty last week for her role. In July, the main defendant, Na Var Derick Lee, 34, was arrested in Pasadena, California. He is charged with 17 felonies including: seven counts of Insurance Fraud, category “D” felonies; five counts of Theft of $3,500 or More, category “B” felonies; two counts of Attempt Theft of $3,500 or more, category “C” felonies; one count of Extortion, a category “B” felony; and two counts of Multiple Transactions Involving Fraud or Deceit in the Course of an Enterprise or Occupation, category “B” felonies.

“My Insurance Fraud Unit continues to combat fraud on behalf of all Nevadans, and the individuals involved in this pedestrian accident scheme are being brought to justice one by one,” said Laxalt.

The crime of Insurance Fraud is punishable by up to four years of imprisonment and a fine of $5,000. Goodwin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2018 in the Eighth Judicial District Court.

This case was investigated by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Office of the Nevada Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Control Unit. The Insurance Fraud Control Unit is prosecuting this case.

Last year, AG Laxalt announced the largest multi-defendant indictment in Nevada Attorney General history related to staged automobile accidents and thefts. The case involved 24 defendants with 68 felony counts for their roles in filing 23 fraudulent insurance claims. Prosecution by the Office of the Nevada Attorney General in that case and in the case against Na Var Derick Lee is ongoing, and the named defendants remain innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

To view the criminal Information against Goodwin, click here. To file a complaint concerning an individual or business suspected of committing fraud, click here.