Auto Insurance Scam Backfires On Marin Couple: DA

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A San Rafael Couple has pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with an auto insurance scam.

Sandra Yohanna Tejada, 55, pleaded guilty to fraudulently supporting an insurance claim, a felony, and her husband, 63-year-old Juan Cadena Nunez pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of being an accessory to an insurance claim for personal injury that was filed after their car was struck by a drunk driver in August of 2020.

Tejada and Cadena Nunez's vehicle was struck by a drunk driver on August 4, 2020 while parked on Woodland Ave., in San Rafael, according to an investigation by the California Department of Insurance,

The couple made false statements to the San Rafael Police Department at the time of the collision that they were in their vehicle when the collision occurred and subsequently retained an attorney to file an insurance claim alleging that they sustained injuries during the collision.

Despite their claims, investigators were able to locate surveillance footage from a nearby business that showed that the vehicle was unoccupied at the time of the collision and that Tejada and Cadena Nunez only arrived on the scene after the collision occurred.

The Couple pleaded guilty on Thursday before Marin Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Howard in a negotiated disposition with prosecutors.

Cadena Nunez was placed on one year of informal court probation with terms that include restitution to the insurance company for the cost of investigating the false claim as well as 10 days in the Marin County Jail.

Tejada returns for sentencing before Judge Howard on April 14, 2022.

Deputy District Attorney Sean Kensinger prosecuted the case.

"Insurance fraud hurts all Marin residents by increasing insurance premiums for those who take the responsible step of insuring their vehicles as required by law,” Kensinger said in a statement.

“Whether it involves staging a collision to get a vehicle repaired, or faking an injury with the hope of receiving a payday from the insurance company, the Marin County District Attorney's Office will continue to partner with the California Department of Insurance to hold those engaged in auto insurance fraud criminally accountable."

Insurance Fraud is a crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

Anyone who suspects insurance fraud in Marin is asked to contact the county’s District Attorney's Office via email at insurancefraud@marincounty.org or call the California Department of Insurance Fraud hotline at 1800-927-4357.