'Easy Money' Attracted Man to Being in Staged Accident

Jul. 4--LAWRENCE -- Jose Rodriquez told police that he agreed to be a front seat passenger in a staged accident six years ago after being promised he could make an easy $4,000.

The two men who approached him on Essex Street convinced him that he could make even more money by getting others involved, according to Rodriquez, who recruited his then-16-year-old brother to participate.

But instead of making easy money off the June 2, 2003, two-car crash at the intersection of Albion and Avon streets, Rodriquez, 26, of 12 Tenney St., Lawrence, was one of four area residents recently charged with auto insurance fraud.

Also charged in the phony crash investigated by the city's auto insurance fraud task force were:

Juan Felix Rodriquez, 32, 47 Juniper St., Lawrence. He was the owner and the driver of the 1991 Acura Legend, in which Jose Rodriquez (no relation) was a passenger along with his brother. He also was charged with conspiracy.

Yokasta Rafelina Almonte, 40, of 128 Allston St., Lawrence. She was the driver of a 1997 Mercury Villager, and claimed she was driving on Avon Street when the van was hit on the passenger side by the Acura. She also was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child in creating a potential risk for two children who were in the van, conspiracy and four counts of auto insurance fraud. Police said she was six months pregnant at the time of the crash.

Cindy Ramirez, 36, 103 Cluff Crossing Road, Salem, N.H. She was a passenger in the van. She also was charged with conspiracy.

Arbella Mutual Insurance Co., which insured the Villager, referred the case to the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts in early 2006, after suspecting the crash was staged. An investigator for the fraud bureau, which is a member of the insurance fraud task force, worked with Lawrence detectives on the criminal probe.

Juan Rodriquez told task force investigators that he was paid $500 by an unidentified "runner" to be the at-fault driver in the phony crash. He said the Villager was pushed into the intersection by another vehicle and that he hit it twice after being waved on by someone in the van.

Jose Rodriquez corroborated the driver's account of how the car he was in smashed into an inoperable van, which had to be pushed into the intersection. He told investigators that he and his brother were picked up at 16 Boxford St. and taken to Lawrence Street, where they got into another car driven by Juan Rodriquez.

Investigators said Almonte insisted the crash was legitimate and that she lost money on it. But she refused to be interviewed by the task force.

Investigators said that Ramirez initially admitted the accident never happened, but later refused to be interviewed by the task force after hiring a lawyer.

An accident reconstruction specialist hired by Arbella determined the crash couldn't have happened the way the drivers reported it.