Florida Auto Glass Firm Charged in Insurance Overbilling Scam

Florida officials today arrested two people associated with a Jacksonville glass company on charges that they overbilled insurers for as many as 1,300 windshield replacement claims.

A total of 10 people have been arrested since April on related charges.

Officials said that Scott Cates, vice president of operations for Lee and Cates Glass, Inc., and Jennifer Lamunyon Cribb, a former employee of the company, were arrested after investigators found that four Lee and Cates Glass, Inc. stores located in Jacksonville allegedly overbilled numerous insurance companies more than $540,000 on over 1,300 separate fraudulent insurance claims.

Florida CFO Alex Sink and State Attorney Angela Corey said that an investigation by CFO Sink’s Division of Insurance Fraud revealed that employees at Lee and Cates stores allegedly overbilled windshields and associated parts by billing insurance companies for a more expensive dealer windshield but installing a less expensive substitute.

Ten employees of Lee and Cates Glass, including Scott Cates, have been arrested since April 2009 as part of this investigation.

Cates has been charged with scheming to defraud, conduct of or participation in an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Cribb has been charged with scheming to defraud and presenting a false insurance claim.

Additional arrests are expected.