California Workers’ Comp Attorney Arrested for $310K Fraud Scheme

Moses Luna, 73, of Newport Beach, Calif., was arrested this week on 20 felony counts of insurance fraud after allegedly billing 20 separate insurance companies for translation and interpreting services to collect over $310,000 in workers’ compensation fees.

An investigation by the California Department of Insurance and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office found Luna, a workers’ comp attorney, created Adelante Interpreting Inc., a translation and interpreting company, and then fraudulently billed 20 separate insurance carriers for translation and interpreting services.

Luna reportedly exclusively referred his own workers’ comp clients to Adelante Interpreters to fraudulently collect over $311,220 in workers’ comp fees. The fees Luna received were for translation and interpreting services rendered to workers’ compensation claimants during depositions and medical appointments. Insurance companies paid the fees, due to Luna’s referrals, since the services were necessary for processing the claims.

Luna allegedly failed to disclose his financial interest in the company, as required by law, and used his daughter’s name on corporate paperwork to hide his ownership of the company. Although his daughter’s name was used for the paperwork, Luna controlled all aspects of Adelante Interpreters including, but not limited to: administrative protocols, employee protocols, independent contractor protocols, as well as billing and collection protocols.

The victim insurance companies include: ACM, AIG, Amtrust, BHHC, CompWest, Employers, ESIS, Farmers, Hartford, ICW, Liberty Mutual, Markel, Matrix, Midwest, Sedgwick, SCIF, Sentry, Travelers, York and Zurich.

Luna is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 19, 2021. The case is being prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.