McALLEN — Federal judges sentenced five defendants to prison and ordered they pay restitution for their roles in a scheme that defrauded millions of dollars from insurance company Aflac.
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The latest sentences made 27 of 36 defend Operation Sitting Duck, in which area residents allegedly defrauded the Columbus, Ga., supplemental insurance provider of more than $3 million in false claims.
As of Wednesday, 35 of the defendants had pleaded guilty, and the 27 sentenced all have been ordered to pay restitution, as well as serve prison sentences that have ranged between six and 30 months.
Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa sentenced four defendants on Wednesday:
>> Norma Flores, 56, of Palmview, received a 15-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $105,905 in restitution.
>> Nora Palacios, 55, of La Joya, received a 15-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $75,025 in restitution.
>> Georgina Flores, 34, of La Joya, received an eight-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $61,805 in restitution.
>> Jessica Herrera, 30, of Mission, received a six-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $34,510 in restitution.
And Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Leonor B. Salinas, 46, of Edinburg, to 15 months in prison and ordered $83,345 in restitution.
Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in 2011, saying they participated in the scheme as an Aflac policyholder.
The scheme involved claiming fake accidents and injuries to two Reynosa-based doctors, who would sell an “accident report” for about $15 for each malady. Those accident reports were turned over to Aflac, which paid an average of $100 per injury.
Over several years, prosecutors said Aflac received thousands of false claims from the three dozen defendants, leading to more than $3 million in payments.
