Southern California Lawyer Convicted of Using Cappers

Walter Martinez, 60, of Alta Loma, Calif., in mid-January pled guilty to 43 felony counts of using cappers – recruiters paid from victims’ insurance settlement – to get clients for his practice.

He evidently used at least three cappers.

“The use of cappers is a problem because these individuals usually approach accident victims acting as an attorney with no training and give legal advice to people when they are vulnerable after a collision,” California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement.

The Department of Insurance Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force received information that indicated Martinez was using cappers. In this case, bank records showed that more than $250,000 in checks were written to the alleged cappers between 2009 and 2012.

Martinez was sentenced to one year in jail, followed by three years felony probation and a $91,000 fine.

Two of the cappers sentenced were: Israel Gonzales, 34, of Rancho Cucamonga, who plead guilty to eight counts 750(a) IC; an Michael Melcher, 58, of Covina, who plead guilty to two counts 750(a) IC.