San Francisco Attorneys Arrested –  Busted by the Bay

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Two California attorneys were among four people arrested last month on suspicion of felony insurance fraud. The two attorneys, Conrad Salumbides of South Pasadena (formerly of San Francisco) and Jorge DeQuesada of San Francisco were believed to be part of an illegal capping scheme. The arrests were the result of a three-year investigation by the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division and the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.

Working on a tip that employees of San Francisco General Hospital were selling the names of accident victims to cappers, two undercover investigators went to the hospital Emergency Room at different times. Each claimed to have been in an automobile accident. Shortly after the visit to the hospital, each investigator was contacted by a man who claimed to be from the Legal Network Referral Service.

Both investigators reported the caller encouraged them to obtain the services of an attorney and to seek further medical treatment. One was referred to the Law Offices of Conrad Salumbides, the other to the Law Offices of Jorge DeQuesada.

Salumbides referred his client to the Alta Physical Therapy Clinic in Daly City. The investigator was seen there for five visits, then reported he was feeling fine and stopped going to the clinic. The clinic subsequently billed the insurance company for services that were allegedly not provided. The total billing was approximately twice what it should have been based on the investigator’s stated actual number of visits.

The second investigator was seen at DeQuesada’s office, where he was referred to the Medical Office of Antonio Uy in Daly City. At the law office, he was allegedly advised how to fake injuries and how to inflate the medical charges. Again, the billings continued even after the investigator stopped receiving treatment.

Also arrested were DeQuesada’s office manager, Roger Estrada, and a medical billing clerk at the Daly City clinic, Josephina Dizon. All four suspects were held at San Francisco County Jail. Bail was set at $25,000 each.

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