Fraud Charges Filed in Insurance Case

A Newbury Park resident faces insurance fraud charges after he allegedly lied that he broke his heels while working on the job, the district attorney’s office announced this week.

After a lengthy investigation, the district attorney’s office charged 48-year-old Edward Louis Torres with six counts of insurance fraud.

Torres broke his heels in August 1999 and told insurers that the accident happened when he fell from a ladder at work, prosecutors allege.

At the time, Torres was a crew supervisor for Camarillo-based Lebaron Cleaning, a construction site cleaning company.

Torres filed a workers’ compensation claim and was paid more than $50,000 in disability benefits, officials said.

But investigators with the district attorney’s office and the California Department of Insurance say that Torres did not break his heels at work and that he lied about the injuries so he could obtain disability benefits.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Meyers said he didn’t know how Torres broke his heels.

Torres was arrested Jan. 16 and was released after posting a $10,000 bond.

He pleaded not guilty on all charges and is scheduled to appear in court March 6.

If convicted, Torres could be sentenced to five years in prison and could be required to pay a fine of as much as $50,000.