1 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:10,780 In this episode of American Greed, in the city of brotherly love, car wrecks 2 00:00:10,780 --> 00:00:15,840 piling up, and auto insurance policies are treated like ATM machines. 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,160 What a great way to make $5 ,000 just by going to the doctors. It's a multi 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,840 -million dollar underground business, and everybody gets a piece of the 5 00:00:26,180 --> 00:00:29,440 The lawyers are in on it, the doctors are in on it, the body shops are in on 6 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,140 the tow truck operators are in on it. But when the outfit begins to crack... 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:34,700 The game turns deadly. 8 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:39,000 Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. Got shots in the back of the head looking 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,960 directly at me. And the promise of easy money for the participants proves as 10 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,260 phony as the car wrecks themselves. 11 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,880 And I'm getting crumbs and end up in jail. I mean, for what? 12 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:08,700 June 4th, 2007. 13 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:15,660 On Philadelphia's congested I -95 corridor, federal agents pursue a 14 00:01:15,660 --> 00:01:18,100 speeds topping 100 miles per hour. 15 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:19,860 Everything's happening so fast. 16 00:01:20,140 --> 00:01:23,360 Your adrenaline's going. Everything around you is kind of like a blur. 17 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:30,400 Detective Bob DeFrancesco and FBI agent Brian Pacioli are in hot pursuit. 18 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:34,440 They're chasing Jerry B .J. Blazingale. 19 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,720 A tow truck driver wanted for staging more than a dozen car accidents, bilking 20 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,780 insurance companies out of millions. 21 00:01:42,340 --> 00:01:44,920 Now he's making a break for it. 22 00:01:46,660 --> 00:01:51,680 Going in and out of traffic, coming within inches of wrecking them and 23 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:52,680 himself. 24 00:01:53,060 --> 00:01:57,440 Agents will put their lives on the line attempting to make the arrests. 25 00:02:02,679 --> 00:02:07,420 Blazingale is part of a massive $2 million auto insurance fraud ring. 26 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:13,040 A ring that has been thriving on the streets of Philadelphia for the last 27 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,800 years. And it all starts with a man who goes by the name Popsicle. 28 00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:27,440 In 2003, Wallace Morris, a .k .a. Popsicle or Pop, is looking for his 29 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:28,440 next big score. 30 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:34,280 The 390 -pound 36 -year -old is a prominent figure in the Germantown 31 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:35,280 Philadelphia. 32 00:02:35,900 --> 00:02:41,080 Al Quinn Tilly, who appears in Silhouette, is an undercover detective 33 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,040 Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. 34 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,920 Pop was very well known in the areas where he frequented, barbershops, clubs. 35 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,000 He was around town, and he knew a lot of people. 36 00:02:51,340 --> 00:02:55,980 By day, Morris runs a limousine service, carting patients to and from medical 37 00:02:55,980 --> 00:02:57,980 appointments. But by night... 38 00:02:58,270 --> 00:03:01,630 Pop trolls the highways as a so -called wreck chaser. 39 00:03:02,250 --> 00:03:06,130 Ralph Burnham, with the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, explains. 40 00:03:06,790 --> 00:03:10,330 A wreck chaser is someone with a tow truck who drives around the highways, 41 00:03:10,630 --> 00:03:13,290 particularly down here in the Philadelphia area, and when they see a 42 00:03:13,350 --> 00:03:16,370 they zip up to it and try to get the tow on that vehicle. 43 00:03:16,590 --> 00:03:21,430 The chaser then brings the damaged car back to a body shop, which pays him a 44 00:03:21,430 --> 00:03:25,110 commission, usually around 20 % of the repair bill. 45 00:03:26,570 --> 00:03:30,870 Occasionally, Morris partners with another wreck chaser named Jerry 46 00:03:31,030 --> 00:03:32,250 a .k .a. BJ. 47 00:03:33,910 --> 00:03:38,190 Detective Bob DeFrancesco, who also appears in Silhouette due to undercover 48 00:03:38,190 --> 00:03:41,550 work, investigates wreck chasers like Blazingale. 49 00:03:42,290 --> 00:03:45,330 He was, like, well -known in North Philly. He was always driving, like, the 50 00:03:45,330 --> 00:03:48,230 shiny tow truck, and people thought he had money, and it was somebody. 51 00:03:48,910 --> 00:03:52,250 According to DeFrancesco, their operation works like this. 52 00:03:52,610 --> 00:03:56,770 Morris, in his own car, speeds ahead to the site of a wreck. 53 00:03:57,090 --> 00:04:00,370 It's a lot easier to drive in a normal vehicle and get to the scene of accident 54 00:04:00,370 --> 00:04:02,090 when you're trying to race to a scene with a tow truck. 55 00:04:02,330 --> 00:04:06,410 Once Morris gets the towing job, Blazingale tows the wreck. 56 00:04:06,670 --> 00:04:10,410 It's a nimble operation, and the pair knows exactly where to bring the cars. 57 00:04:12,190 --> 00:04:17,470 This is the former home of J .R. Auto Body, a shop managed by Danny Cooper 58 00:04:17,470 --> 00:04:21,230 Yellow. Attorney Chuck Peruto represents Koopa Yellow. 59 00:04:21,630 --> 00:04:25,210 Well, Koopa Yellow was the body shop of choice because he was generous. He 60 00:04:25,210 --> 00:04:27,410 really took care of the tow operators. 61 00:04:28,090 --> 00:04:33,150 And when the car came in, they knew that he would do more damage to the car. 62 00:04:33,230 --> 00:04:36,570 That is, he'd ram it into the wall or back another car into it and do more 63 00:04:36,570 --> 00:04:39,410 damage. The practice is called damage enhancement. 64 00:04:39,770 --> 00:04:44,570 And, as Ralph Burnham explains, scammers in Philadelphia have refined it into an 65 00:04:44,570 --> 00:04:45,570 art form. 66 00:04:45,900 --> 00:04:51,740 One body shop had actually fitted, allegedly, a number of bumpers to a 67 00:04:51,740 --> 00:04:55,200 so that they could drive it, crash it repeatedly into the vehicle that had 68 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:56,099 brought into the shop. 69 00:04:56,100 --> 00:05:00,720 More damage means a bigger claim. A bigger claim means a higher commission 70 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:01,579 the chasers. 71 00:05:01,580 --> 00:05:06,460 But sometimes wrecks run scarce, and Blazingale needs to get creative. 72 00:05:06,940 --> 00:05:10,600 He would have girlfriends and talk them into buying cars for him, and then he 73 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:11,600 would wreck them. 74 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:16,860 on their insurance claims. These staged accidents are a rough sketch of what 75 00:05:16,860 --> 00:05:20,120 will later become a multi -million dollar masterpiece of fraud. 76 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:27,180 In its early incarnation, ring members will go to great lengths to ensure 77 00:05:27,180 --> 00:05:29,420 look legitimate when the cops show up. 78 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:35,300 Cooper Yellow has even been known to perform some on -the -spot dentistry for 79 00:05:35,300 --> 00:05:37,140 one of his accident victims. 80 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,960 Danny tied a string around his tooth and... 81 00:05:41,310 --> 00:05:46,290 pulled his tooth out, causing him to bleed profusely, and he told him to 82 00:05:46,290 --> 00:05:49,830 spitting the blood around the car, around the dashboard, and around the 83 00:05:49,830 --> 00:05:53,090 wheel, and around the windshield. So it would look like a legitimate accident, 84 00:05:53,190 --> 00:05:54,450 like a legitimate impact. 85 00:05:54,970 --> 00:06:00,050 The racket is paying off, even for the guy with the string on his tooth. 86 00:06:00,630 --> 00:06:05,170 But Morris and Blazingale wondered if they can run the con without anyone 87 00:06:05,170 --> 00:06:06,170 bleeding. 88 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:11,460 Thanks to an old childhood friend of Blazingale, it's about to get a lot 89 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:18,060 Drexel Reed is a 32 -year -old Philadelphia Highway Patrol officer. 90 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,260 He and Blazingale grew up together and now work the same highways. 91 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,720 Sometimes Blazingale asks Officer Reed to write police reports when officers 92 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,740 don't respond to the wrecks he chases. 93 00:06:30,140 --> 00:06:33,300 He would tell them that, oh, like no one ever responded, or, you know, we 94 00:06:33,300 --> 00:06:34,960 waited, we waited, here's all the information. 95 00:06:35,660 --> 00:06:37,960 For the cars that were involved, you want to write up a report. 96 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,380 Blazingale soon realizes this can become the perfect scam. 97 00:06:43,060 --> 00:06:47,260 Well, then I guess BJ saw that it was easy. Just give him information, and he 98 00:06:47,260 --> 00:06:48,260 would write up the reports. 99 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:54,880 Up next, watch Blazingale and Morris turn police reports into profits. 100 00:06:56,100 --> 00:06:58,660 You could do this week in and week out and never get caught. 101 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:19,020 In 2003, Philadelphia car wreck chasers Wallace Pop Morris and Jerry B .J. 102 00:07:19,140 --> 00:07:22,120 Blazingale are streamlining the business of fraud. 103 00:07:22,740 --> 00:07:26,940 The duo makes commissions by bringing wrecks into local body shops. 104 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,860 When business is slow, they stage their own crashes. 105 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:37,400 But now, they'll take it to another level, where there's no need to crash 106 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:38,400 at all. 107 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:39,800 Here's the plan. 108 00:07:42,310 --> 00:07:47,690 Highway Patrol Officer Drexel Reed, a childhood friend of Blazingale, will 109 00:07:47,690 --> 00:07:53,330 police reports for collisions that never take place, a concept they call paper 110 00:07:53,330 --> 00:07:54,330 accidents. 111 00:07:54,950 --> 00:07:58,890 And that's solid call to these guys. I mean, come on. All they need is a police 112 00:07:58,890 --> 00:08:02,810 report to say this is how it happened. So you could do this week in and week 113 00:08:02,810 --> 00:08:03,810 and never get caught. 114 00:08:03,870 --> 00:08:07,750 Paper accidents are the holy grail for a lazy con man. 115 00:08:08,010 --> 00:08:09,530 It takes the work out of everything. 116 00:08:09,770 --> 00:08:14,150 Bringing people to a scene, waiting for an officer to arrive, actually damaging 117 00:08:14,150 --> 00:08:15,150 the cars. 118 00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:19,930 Morris and Blazingale now have the perfect weapon to rob insurance 119 00:08:19,930 --> 00:08:23,670 blind. And even better, the fake reports come cheap. 120 00:08:24,450 --> 00:08:28,990 Drexel would do this for what he termed lunch money. Could have been $20, could 121 00:08:28,990 --> 00:08:29,990 have been $100. 122 00:08:30,670 --> 00:08:34,870 But the one thing they still need are people with real insurance policies. 123 00:08:35,309 --> 00:08:40,049 They ask around for volunteers who might be interested in some quick cash. 124 00:08:42,530 --> 00:08:44,250 In January 2004, 125 00:08:45,030 --> 00:08:48,950 Angelina Adu is raising three children and facing eviction. 126 00:08:49,170 --> 00:08:52,010 A relative says a man named Pop can help. 127 00:08:52,370 --> 00:08:54,690 He said, listen, listen, listen. You drive, right? 128 00:08:54,970 --> 00:08:55,970 Yeah. 129 00:08:56,670 --> 00:08:59,670 Well... You know, let's do something with the car. We're going to get rid of 130 00:08:59,670 --> 00:09:02,050 car and create a situation. You know what I'm saying? 131 00:09:02,830 --> 00:09:06,650 Morris says they will damage the car and then send it to a body shop. 132 00:09:07,130 --> 00:09:10,450 A few weeks later, she will get an insurance check worth thousands. 133 00:09:11,330 --> 00:09:15,170 All she has to do is give him a small portion for his trouble. 134 00:09:16,030 --> 00:09:17,630 You don't want to do the wrong things. 135 00:09:17,970 --> 00:09:22,770 But this is, you know, we live in a society where you've got to make ends 136 00:09:22,770 --> 00:09:25,070 for your kids, your family, and they come first. 137 00:09:25,630 --> 00:09:27,790 It's a hell of a wall to be put up against. 138 00:09:28,410 --> 00:09:30,210 She gives Morris her car. 139 00:09:30,550 --> 00:09:35,550 He and Blazingale will use a U -Haul truck to ram the bumper and then have 140 00:09:35,550 --> 00:09:37,810 Officer Reed write up an accident report. 141 00:09:38,370 --> 00:09:43,410 But while waiting for their fake report, they run into some parking trouble with 142 00:09:43,410 --> 00:09:44,410 a deuce car. 143 00:09:44,770 --> 00:09:49,310 They call me and tell me, you've got to go pick up the car because they've towed 144 00:09:49,310 --> 00:09:51,670 it away, we parked it somewhere, and we lost the car. 145 00:09:51,870 --> 00:09:53,070 So you've got to go get it. 146 00:09:53,580 --> 00:09:56,640 I was like, oh, my God, now I really don't want to do this. 147 00:09:56,900 --> 00:10:01,580 The duo may be dysfunctional, but the promise of money is enough. 148 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:07,380 Adu retrieves her car from the impound lot and hands the car over to Morris for 149 00:10:07,380 --> 00:10:08,380 a second time. 150 00:10:08,620 --> 00:10:13,260 In a few weeks, she received a check from the insurance company for $1 ,800. 151 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:20,400 She says Morris collects $600 for his role, but he can keep upping the game 152 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:21,400 more. 153 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:28,720 Morris gets wind of a crooked chiropractor, Dr. Steven Rios, who will 154 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,920 kickback of up to $800 for new patients, legitimate or not. 155 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:39,440 Morris sends a dude to see the doctor, telling her that if he treats her, she 156 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,940 can get an even bigger personal injury settlement. 157 00:10:42,420 --> 00:10:46,900 When she arrives, Dr. Rios seems to know more about the accident than she does. 158 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:48,520 He kept saying, you're back. 159 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,100 Where's your back hurt at? Did you injure it before? 160 00:10:52,060 --> 00:10:55,960 And I said, yeah. He was like, well, but you were healed already, right? 161 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,040 I was like, yeah. 162 00:11:00,380 --> 00:11:05,500 And when Dr. Rios sends his report to the insurance carrier, all sorts of 163 00:11:05,500 --> 00:11:07,100 injuries appear out of nowhere. 164 00:11:07,940 --> 00:11:12,880 These sorts of soft tissue injuries are difficult to disprove, says Bob 165 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,640 DeFrancesco, a detective with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. 166 00:11:17,710 --> 00:11:20,770 You can have an IME, which is an independent medical exam. 167 00:11:20,990 --> 00:11:24,670 Someone else even look at the patient and say, well, he's complaining of pain. 168 00:11:24,850 --> 00:11:28,750 But I don't see anything wrong, but I can't deny that this patient is 169 00:11:28,750 --> 00:11:29,750 complaining of pain. 170 00:11:29,850 --> 00:11:34,830 After seeing Dr. Rios, patients like Adu are directed to see attorney Glory 171 00:11:34,830 --> 00:11:40,770 Kasner. In a one -stop shop for insurance claims, Kasner actually 172 00:11:40,770 --> 00:11:42,990 inside the chiropractor's office. 173 00:11:43,830 --> 00:11:46,550 She never had her own law office. 174 00:11:47,260 --> 00:11:51,160 She would sign up patients using a little, you call it an office, it was 175 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:55,860 very small, almost the size of a large closet inside of the chiropractic 176 00:11:55,980 --> 00:11:57,080 and she would meet clients there. 177 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:03,000 According to Adu, Kasner also seems to know more than she does. 178 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,340 She's like, well, what did you injure? 179 00:12:05,820 --> 00:12:07,780 In your back, right? Your lower back? 180 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,120 I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. 181 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,900 So it was pretty much, I didn't really have to say anything. 182 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,520 Adu is told to return several times a week for the next six months. 183 00:12:19,140 --> 00:12:23,260 Kasner typically settles personal injury claims for tens of thousands of 184 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:29,540 dollars, taking a cut of at least 25%. And Dr. Rios isn't shy about gouging 185 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:30,840 insurance companies either. 186 00:12:31,060 --> 00:12:36,500 While Adu visits the office about a dozen times, Rios bills for more than 50 187 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:40,500 visits. The liability limit was usually up to $5 ,000, so he would bill. 188 00:12:41,210 --> 00:12:45,830 Write up the $5 ,000 and then write a closing memo for the claim saying that 189 00:12:45,830 --> 00:12:46,830 it's cured. 190 00:12:47,190 --> 00:12:49,010 Everyone gets their piece. 191 00:12:49,270 --> 00:12:55,110 The crooked chiropractor, the litigious lawyer, the shoddy body shop, the 192 00:12:55,110 --> 00:13:01,410 corrupt cop, the so -called victim, and of course, Wallace Morris and Jerry 193 00:13:01,410 --> 00:13:02,410 Blazingale. 194 00:13:03,570 --> 00:13:07,670 But the money doesn't come without a price, according to Ralph Burnham at the 195 00:13:07,670 --> 00:13:09,450 Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority. 196 00:13:10,170 --> 00:13:15,230 He says fraud hurts consumers, not only through higher premiums, but also in 197 00:13:15,230 --> 00:13:19,190 longer waits and bureaucratic obstacles for legitimate claims. 198 00:13:19,630 --> 00:13:23,350 One of the largest reasons consumers express dissatisfaction with their 199 00:13:23,350 --> 00:13:28,310 insurance companies is their perception when they file a claim that the claim is 200 00:13:28,310 --> 00:13:31,550 not paid quickly enough or that they're being asked too many questions over too 201 00:13:31,550 --> 00:13:32,509 much information. 202 00:13:32,510 --> 00:13:35,570 Part of the reason they're asked for that amount of information and 203 00:13:35,570 --> 00:13:38,590 documentation is because insurance fraud is out there. 204 00:13:39,340 --> 00:13:43,580 During the next year, Pop Morris and B .J. Blazingale reel in the dough. 205 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:50,580 They put together 19 accidents, earning nearly $560 ,000 in kickbacks and 206 00:13:50,580 --> 00:13:56,200 settlements. But Highway Patrolman Reed and his imaginary reports are the key to 207 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:57,200 the scam. 208 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:01,360 And the only road to Officer Reed goes through his friend Blazingale. 209 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:07,260 If Morris could find his own cop, he could strike out on his own and keep the 210 00:14:07,260 --> 00:14:08,260 cash for himself. 211 00:14:09,390 --> 00:14:14,390 Coming up, Morris searches for his own corruptible cop and expands operations. 212 00:14:15,750 --> 00:14:18,430 286 people were involved in this scam. 213 00:14:18,690 --> 00:14:21,010 He was looking to make money any way he can. 214 00:14:34,060 --> 00:14:40,060 In 2004, Philadelphia native Wallace Pop Morris is turning car wrecks into big 215 00:14:40,060 --> 00:14:43,120 money. He and his partner, Jerry B .J. 216 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,160 Blazingale, use fake police reports to con insurance companies out of millions. 217 00:14:48,620 --> 00:14:52,440 But sometime in 2004, the duo is at odds. 218 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:57,180 Their phony police reports are written by highway patrolman Drexel Reed, a 219 00:14:57,180 --> 00:14:58,760 childhood friend of Blazingale. 220 00:14:59,210 --> 00:15:03,930 That means Morris has to go through Blassingale for everything and split the 221 00:15:03,930 --> 00:15:07,730 cash. But a chance meeting will change all that. 222 00:15:09,770 --> 00:15:14,550 Shane Riggins is a 25 -year -old undercover Philadelphia police officer 223 00:15:14,550 --> 00:15:16,110 out of the 14th District. 224 00:15:17,990 --> 00:15:22,930 Detective Al Quintelli says that Morris meets Officer Riggins at a party in 225 00:15:22,930 --> 00:15:23,930 2004. 226 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:29,420 Basically, he pitched to Riggins that, oh, a friend of mine was in an auto 227 00:15:29,420 --> 00:15:33,680 accident. Could you do me a favor and make this report? 228 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:39,120 Officer Riggins, who believes this is just a favor for a friend, writes a 229 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:40,320 report for the accident. 230 00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:45,340 But Pop soon returns, and now he's offering $500 cash. 231 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:50,880 And he realized that I'll BS Shane the first time with a friend or family 232 00:15:51,690 --> 00:15:54,810 And then after that, I'll just pay him because that's what we do in this 233 00:15:54,810 --> 00:16:00,510 business. Though DeShane Riggins now suspects the accidents are fake, he 234 00:16:00,510 --> 00:16:02,890 the other way in the name of making a few bucks. 235 00:16:03,790 --> 00:16:06,530 Morris finally has a cop in his pocket. 236 00:16:06,730 --> 00:16:11,310 All he needs are willing volunteers to pose as accident victims. 237 00:16:12,470 --> 00:16:16,990 Prosecutor Linda Montag says he starts with people he's close to. 238 00:16:17,770 --> 00:16:23,190 He started with friends, family members, people who he knew from the community, 239 00:16:23,370 --> 00:16:26,810 and then convinced them this is a quick way to make money. 240 00:16:27,290 --> 00:16:32,570 He cruises the Germantown neighborhood fishing for participants in barbershops, 241 00:16:32,690 --> 00:16:35,270 clubs, even the local grocery store. 242 00:16:36,050 --> 00:16:40,350 He ran into people in grocery stores and see a young girl and just picture the 243 00:16:40,350 --> 00:16:43,630 way to make money and they would go along with it. If it's easy and they can 244 00:16:43,630 --> 00:16:44,970 make a few dollars, it's the way to go. 245 00:16:45,660 --> 00:16:48,080 And victims are easy to find. 246 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:54,480 In November 2004, Donna Schluter is approached by her boyfriend with an 247 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:56,600 opportunity to make some quick cash. 248 00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:02,540 He had basically a come -up on a way to make money, and there was no way he 249 00:17:02,540 --> 00:17:03,540 could get caught. 250 00:17:03,620 --> 00:17:08,359 It's basically filing a fake insurance claim, and you would get paid for it. 251 00:17:09,260 --> 00:17:12,760 And it's all on paper. No accident necessary. 252 00:17:14,070 --> 00:17:18,670 Ignorant of the potential legal consequences, Schluter is intrigued by 253 00:17:19,910 --> 00:17:23,430 Everybody needs a little money here and there, a little help. I figured, why 254 00:17:23,430 --> 00:17:27,050 not? If we can't get in trouble, then why not do it? 255 00:17:27,869 --> 00:17:31,210 She meets with Morris, who takes her to an attorney. 256 00:17:31,750 --> 00:17:33,950 Pot was in the office with us. 257 00:17:34,290 --> 00:17:39,670 They already had it written down. Going down Germantown and we hit a pothole and 258 00:17:39,670 --> 00:17:41,410 somebody hit me. 259 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:43,280 It was just a bogus story. 260 00:17:44,460 --> 00:17:48,560 After her appointment with the attorney, Schluter is taken to a chiropractor, 261 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:50,420 where she has a similar experience. 262 00:17:51,940 --> 00:17:55,820 Why are you here? Well, I had a car accident. We were sent from our lawyer 263 00:17:55,820 --> 00:17:58,120 come and get treatment, and he didn't really ask anything. 264 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:03,000 She is told to return three times a week for the next six months. 265 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:04,440 No small task. 266 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:06,360 But Schluter doesn't mind. 267 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,700 You know, you're going for a free massage every... 268 00:18:10,410 --> 00:18:15,170 Three days out of the week for six months, who wouldn't like it? 269 00:18:16,010 --> 00:18:19,570 In the end, she is awarded a $5 ,000 settlement. 270 00:18:20,030 --> 00:18:21,910 The attorney takes $2 ,000. 271 00:18:22,370 --> 00:18:23,370 And the rest? 272 00:18:23,930 --> 00:18:29,130 I was stupid enough and handed it over to my ex. He dealt with pop, gave him a 273 00:18:29,130 --> 00:18:33,070 little bit out of that check. And then after that, I didn't really see any of 274 00:18:33,070 --> 00:18:35,710 because he wanted to pay his rent to get himself out of debt. 275 00:18:36,230 --> 00:18:37,890 But others fare better. 276 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,160 And word of Morris' business spreads fast. 277 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,960 Soon, Officer Riggins is working overtime on the fake reports. 278 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,940 Ultimately, he was doing two accidents a month. It would have been anywhere from 279 00:18:52,940 --> 00:18:56,820 $600 to $1 ,000 a month that Shane was receiving from Pops to write these fake 280 00:18:56,820 --> 00:18:57,820 auto accident reports. 281 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,240 And Morris is raking it in. 282 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:06,380 By 2006, he recruits 286 people to be involved in 45 different accidents. 283 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:11,620 He's getting referral fees from doctors and lawyers, and he takes a cut of each 284 00:19:11,620 --> 00:19:14,820 settlement, earning thousands from each phony wreck. 285 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,820 It was like a full -time job. He picked up people, dropped people off, created 286 00:19:19,820 --> 00:19:24,280 action reports, met with the cops, met with the doctors, met with the 287 00:19:24,980 --> 00:19:30,000 He uses the money to fund his frequent trips to Vegas, where he hones his 288 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:31,040 at the poker table. 289 00:19:31,860 --> 00:19:34,600 While his scam is making him rich... 290 00:19:34,940 --> 00:19:38,380 17 insurance companies are out some $1 .2 million. 291 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:44,760 But as his fraud ring grows, it depends on more and more players to keep it 292 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,560 going. And it only takes one slip -up to bring the whole scheme crashing down. 293 00:19:51,780 --> 00:19:56,720 Coming up, a body shop messes with the wrong customer, and Pop Morris' former 294 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,560 partner makes a run for it. 295 00:19:58,780 --> 00:20:00,700 He was going in and out of traffic. 296 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,500 Coming within inches of wrecking them and wrecking himself. 297 00:20:17,980 --> 00:20:23,680 In 2005, a massive insurance fraud ring is thriving on the streets of 298 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:24,680 Philadelphia. 299 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:34,180 Pop Morris and Jerry B .J. Blazingale are getting cops to write phony car 300 00:20:34,180 --> 00:20:35,200 accident reports. 301 00:20:35,620 --> 00:20:42,220 Then using doctors, lawyers, and body shops to put insurance companies 302 00:20:42,220 --> 00:20:43,960 through the ringer. 303 00:20:44,780 --> 00:20:50,140 Nationwide, Progressive, Allstate, AIG, Geico, Safe Oil, Rutgers, Erie, Liberty 304 00:20:50,140 --> 00:20:53,160 Mutual, Leader, Infinity, Farmers USA, and Capital. 305 00:20:53,790 --> 00:20:58,910 I insure my cars with some of these companies, and in the end, we all pay 306 00:20:58,910 --> 00:21:00,250 it. It's that simple. 307 00:21:01,090 --> 00:21:05,950 But the bigger the fraud ring gets, the more vulnerable it is to discovering. 308 00:21:06,970 --> 00:21:13,130 And in December 2005, J .R. Auto Body Shop, a major player in Blazingale's 309 00:21:13,130 --> 00:21:16,450 fraud, attracts some unwanted police attention. 310 00:21:19,209 --> 00:21:23,670 Detective Bob DeFrancesco with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office 311 00:21:23,670 --> 00:21:26,830 receives a complaint from a retired officer. 312 00:21:27,110 --> 00:21:32,710 The former cop says she took her car into J .R. Auto Body after an accident. 313 00:21:33,010 --> 00:21:37,090 But the owner, Russ Tedesco, cashed the check and never fixed the car. 314 00:21:38,770 --> 00:21:43,150 DeFrancesco first pays a visit to the shop's manager, Danny Cupiello. 315 00:21:44,050 --> 00:21:46,210 We initially went in and talked with Danny. 316 00:21:46,910 --> 00:21:51,190 from the point of view that he'd be able to help us with the scam that Tedesco 317 00:21:51,190 --> 00:21:56,130 had been pulling on the customers, not repairing the cars and still cashing the 318 00:21:56,130 --> 00:22:00,770 checks. Turns out he's pulling his own small -time scam. 319 00:22:01,130 --> 00:22:06,550 But as DeFrancesco begins reviewing the shop's records, he realizes Cuppellino 320 00:22:06,550 --> 00:22:09,730 has been participating in something far more sinister. 321 00:22:10,730 --> 00:22:14,550 As we got further into it, we found out that he was actually a planner of a lot 322 00:22:14,550 --> 00:22:19,510 of stage accidents and a participant in a lot of the stage accidents, as well as 323 00:22:19,510 --> 00:22:21,950 being a runner for doctors and lawyers. 324 00:22:22,390 --> 00:22:28,350 With DeFrancesco on his tail, Kupayelo contacts his lawyer, Chuck Peruto. 325 00:22:29,030 --> 00:22:35,190 He had a role in each, either enhancing the damage to the vehicle, being an 326 00:22:35,190 --> 00:22:39,430 alleged victim himself in the vehicle, enhancing someone else's physical 327 00:22:39,430 --> 00:22:44,230 injuries. Everything from A to Z he was involved in, so it was a very, very 328 00:22:44,230 --> 00:22:45,630 difficult case to take to trial. 329 00:22:46,070 --> 00:22:50,510 Hoping to reduce his potential sentence, Cupiello agrees to talk to law 330 00:22:50,510 --> 00:22:51,510 enforcement. 331 00:22:52,090 --> 00:22:56,670 And with his cooperation, DeFrancesco learns about a chiropractor named Dr. 332 00:22:56,830 --> 00:23:00,790 Stephen Rios, who pays top dollar for phony accident victims. 333 00:23:01,850 --> 00:23:06,290 It turns out the FBI is already looking into the crooked chiropractor. 334 00:23:06,510 --> 00:23:10,630 In addition to paying runners for patients, He's been overbilling 335 00:23:10,630 --> 00:23:12,230 companies by the thousands. 336 00:23:13,270 --> 00:23:18,370 DeFrancesco and FBI Special Agent Brian Pacioli joined forces on the 337 00:23:18,370 --> 00:23:19,370 investigation. 338 00:23:20,010 --> 00:23:24,190 They began interviewing phony patients of Rio's and the wreck chasers who 339 00:23:24,190 --> 00:23:25,190 referred them. 340 00:23:25,710 --> 00:23:31,150 It's not long before a wreck chaser raps on Jerry B .J. Blazingale. 341 00:23:31,430 --> 00:23:36,590 He informed us that B .J. had a, he termed it a cop in his pocket. 342 00:23:37,260 --> 00:23:39,020 The gig is up for B .J. 343 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:44,080 He and his crooked cop Highway Patrol officer Drexel Reed have been found out. 344 00:23:44,180 --> 00:23:46,940 The massive criminal ring is beginning to surface. 345 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,320 And Wallace Pop Morris is up next. 346 00:23:51,860 --> 00:23:53,560 In January 2006, 347 00:23:54,340 --> 00:23:58,000 Detective Al Quintilly receives a referral from an insurance company. 348 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:02,360 They have interviewed a woman who has admitted to filing a fraudulent claim. 349 00:24:03,050 --> 00:24:07,810 She later tells Quintilly that after being in a minor accident, a man named 350 00:24:07,810 --> 00:24:11,030 Morris had promised her he could fix her car for free. 351 00:24:11,670 --> 00:24:16,330 Pop's pitch to her was that, I saw the damage on your car. I can get that fixed 352 00:24:16,330 --> 00:24:17,630 for you. It won't cost you a thing. 353 00:24:18,110 --> 00:24:23,270 Quintilly checks police records and finds ten accidents in which Pop Morris 354 00:24:23,270 --> 00:24:24,310 his associates appear. 355 00:24:24,690 --> 00:24:29,070 The common thread among all of them? They are all written by the same 356 00:24:29,330 --> 00:24:30,610 Deshane Riggins. 357 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:33,680 Now the red flags go up. 358 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,780 Something's going on. We're just not sure of the scope of it. 359 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:41,980 What's even stranger is that Riggins isn't even a uniformed cop. 360 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,320 He wears plain clothes. He drives an unmarked police car. 361 00:24:45,820 --> 00:24:49,160 He's not responsible to handle everyday auto accident reports. 362 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:55,480 Quintelli pulls all the accident reports written in the 14th District for the 363 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:56,480 past several years. 364 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:01,660 We go through hundreds and hundreds of accident reports, and in the end, we 365 00:25:01,660 --> 00:25:05,720 basically come across another 35 accidents that Deshane did. 366 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:08,640 Officer Riggins has been busy. 367 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,800 Quintilly begins the arduous task of interviewing everyone in Riggins' 368 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,120 Donna Schluter is one of them. 369 00:25:16,660 --> 00:25:20,420 I was at work, and I got a phone call from the detective. 370 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,980 I picked it up to find out that they were outside of my job. 371 00:25:25,850 --> 00:25:30,510 She meets Quintilly in the parking lot. He shows her a photo lineup and asks her 372 00:25:30,510 --> 00:25:32,110 who organized the fraud. 373 00:25:32,570 --> 00:25:38,370 And I had to pick out Pop and, you know, well, that's the only person that I 374 00:25:38,370 --> 00:25:39,370 knew that was involved. 375 00:25:40,310 --> 00:25:43,470 Hers is one of many fingers that will point to Morris. 376 00:25:44,150 --> 00:25:48,850 And though Schluter is a minor player in Pop's ring, she faces up to five years 377 00:25:48,850 --> 00:25:50,150 in prison for participating. 378 00:25:51,110 --> 00:25:55,230 Quintilly suggests she turn herself in to earn a lighter sentence. 379 00:25:56,250 --> 00:26:01,050 Eventually, she gets two years probation for participating in the scam and has 380 00:26:01,050 --> 00:26:02,690 to pay back $3 ,000. 381 00:26:03,590 --> 00:26:07,110 I walked away with $200 and I had to pay back three grand. 382 00:26:07,470 --> 00:26:10,970 Five years later, like, that's crazy. 383 00:26:11,310 --> 00:26:12,310 Like, it's nuts. 384 00:26:13,130 --> 00:26:17,170 Investigators are finally getting the full picture of the massive criminal 385 00:26:17,330 --> 00:26:18,990 Now it's time to act. 386 00:26:21,620 --> 00:26:27,080 Agents Bob DeFrancesco and Brian Pacioli are moving in on B .J. Blazingale and 387 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,560 his puppet cop Drexel Reed. 388 00:26:30,220 --> 00:26:35,280 On the morning of June 4, 2007, Officer Reed turns himself in. 389 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,200 But Blazingale is nowhere to be found. 390 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,180 Agents stage a sting that afternoon, hoping to reel him in before he can flee 391 00:26:43,180 --> 00:26:44,099 the state. 392 00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:48,060 Agent DeFrancesco takes American Reed to the scene of the arrest. 393 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,240 Basically, we were staked out at this location. 394 00:26:51,860 --> 00:26:56,480 We had a female associate of Jerry Blazingale was going to meet him across 395 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,020 street in the Luke Oil parking lot. 396 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:03,580 The woman has learned that Blazingale is planning to flee and agreed to lure him 397 00:27:03,580 --> 00:27:06,220 to the scene by telling him she has money for him. 398 00:27:07,060 --> 00:27:11,000 Stationed nearby is a team of FBI agents in an unmarked car. 399 00:27:11,820 --> 00:27:14,600 Back where that white box thing is now. 400 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,480 In the rear of the Luke oil was where the other agents had been positioned, I 401 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,120 believe. They were waiting for our signal. 402 00:27:22,580 --> 00:27:26,920 But when Blazengale shows up, he's too smart to take the bait. 403 00:27:27,260 --> 00:27:31,660 He stays in the car and instead sends a relative out to get the money. 404 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:34,220 The agents swing into action. 405 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:39,620 They're wearing their full FBI with their blue vest and yellow lettering. 406 00:27:39,620 --> 00:27:41,900 yelled FBI, attempted to apprehend him. 407 00:27:42,750 --> 00:27:48,450 Blazengale, still in his car, takes off. He heads for the nearby on -ramp, and 408 00:27:48,450 --> 00:27:51,710 agents DeFrancesco and Pacioli follow in pursuit. 409 00:27:52,530 --> 00:27:56,950 You know, your adrenaline gets pumping. You work so hard to put a case together, 410 00:27:57,030 --> 00:27:59,710 and you're trying to apprehend somebody. It's hard to let that person go. 411 00:28:00,930 --> 00:28:06,270 Blazengale is about to lead the agents down I -95, Philadelphia's main artery, 412 00:28:06,530 --> 00:28:09,290 at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour. 413 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:17,000 Up next, American Greed goes inside a dramatic high -speed chase through the 414 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,040 streets of Philadelphia. 415 00:28:18,500 --> 00:28:20,300 So everything's happening so fast. 416 00:28:21,220 --> 00:28:23,280 Everything around you is kind of like a blur. 417 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,280 June 4, 2007. 418 00:28:34,350 --> 00:28:40,570 Detective Bob DeFrancesco and FBI agent Brian Pacioli speed down Philadelphia's 419 00:28:40,570 --> 00:28:42,570 congested I -95 corridor. 420 00:28:44,150 --> 00:28:50,150 They are chasing Jerry B .J. Blazingale, wanted for using fake police reports to 421 00:28:50,150 --> 00:28:51,930 stage dozens of phony accidents. 422 00:28:52,350 --> 00:28:57,070 As they dodge traffic at breakneck speeds, approaching 100 miles per hour, 423 00:28:57,210 --> 00:29:00,490 DeFrancesco wonders why it's come to this. 424 00:29:00,910 --> 00:29:03,230 Yeah, I mean, he was going in and out of traffic. 425 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:06,980 coming within inches of wrecking them and wrecking himself. 426 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,300 And you think to yourself, you're fleeing over insurance fraud. 427 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:14,200 Thus, it was a little surreal, you know? 428 00:29:14,500 --> 00:29:19,980 A few miles ahead, highway patrol cars form a sort of moving barrier to slow 429 00:29:19,980 --> 00:29:20,980 down traffic. 430 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,280 They try and line up in each lane. 431 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,700 If they don't have a patrol car, they would go side to side with their lights 432 00:29:27,700 --> 00:29:32,200 on. But Blazengale takes the shoulder and slips past the jammed traffic. 433 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,400 The agents pursue and catch up. 434 00:29:35,620 --> 00:29:41,400 Just as they approach the Girard Point Bridge, halfway across the river, 435 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:42,760 got Blazingale surrounded. 436 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,140 We have BJ in front of us. 437 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,800 Behind us, there is a marked unit, Highway Patrol. 438 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,980 And to our outside, there's another Highway Patrol unit. 439 00:29:52,220 --> 00:29:53,800 All assisting in the pursuit. 440 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,400 And when he's cornered, he lashes out. 441 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:01,340 Last thing I decided to drive right into the side of our car, which kind of took 442 00:30:01,340 --> 00:30:02,199 us off guard. 443 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,760 The agent striked back. 444 00:30:04,740 --> 00:30:09,840 Slammed our car in his direction, forcing him into the concrete barrier, 445 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:16,520 is a guardrail, ending the pursuit and ending the danger to us and to the 446 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:17,620 general public at that point. 447 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:23,080 When agents search the car, they find bags full of clothes, as well as his 448 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,180 brother's driver's license and birth certificate. 449 00:30:25,900 --> 00:30:30,740 and an off -duty police badge, indicating that Blazingale had planned 450 00:30:30,740 --> 00:30:31,760 the city that day. 451 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:37,500 Meanwhile, Blazingale's former partner, Wallace Pop Morris, is in trouble. 452 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:43,220 The other ringleader of the $2 million scam is caught when the detectives are 453 00:30:43,220 --> 00:30:44,220 to him. 454 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:51,900 His entire outfit is run for the hills, and the key to his plot, Officer Deshane 455 00:30:51,900 --> 00:30:56,860 Riggins, has quit his side job as the author of Pop's phony police reports. 456 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,940 He put the brakes on writing the fake reports for Pop. 457 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,400 So now, that's what they do. They had to come up with another way of making 458 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,560 money. Morris has lost the engine that drives his fraud machine. 459 00:31:09,980 --> 00:31:13,400 But he depends on the cash the scam brings in every year. 460 00:31:14,180 --> 00:31:19,280 So he'll have to go back to making money the more dangerous way, staging real 461 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:21,440 car crashes with real cops. 462 00:31:22,540 --> 00:31:28,100 They basically did it the hard way. They had to get six people, two cars, and 463 00:31:28,100 --> 00:31:32,080 everyone go sit at an intersection and call 911 and wait for the police officer 464 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:33,080 to come and write their report. 465 00:31:33,580 --> 00:31:38,060 It's a pain for Morris, but proves deadly for one of his victims. 466 00:31:41,740 --> 00:31:45,180 In the early morning of June 5, 2007... 467 00:31:45,740 --> 00:31:50,580 The night after BJ's dramatic high -speed pursuit, Pop Morris and his 468 00:31:50,580 --> 00:31:55,920 drop off a group of six potential accident victims at the corner of Church 469 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,700 Bainton. This man, who we will call Jeffrey, is one of them. 470 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,060 He's been lured to the scene by the promise of $5 ,000. 471 00:32:05,060 --> 00:32:08,620 He watches as Pop Morris' associate goes to work. 472 00:32:09,060 --> 00:32:10,740 This guy had parked the car. 473 00:32:10,940 --> 00:32:12,360 He took the car, ran. 474 00:32:13,540 --> 00:32:16,180 another car into the back of the car. 475 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,300 Boom. So it looked like it was an accident. 476 00:32:19,780 --> 00:32:21,240 They call 911. 477 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:26,600 While waiting for police to arrive, Jeffrey strikes up a conversation with a 478 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,160 fellow victim named Eric Christmas. 479 00:32:29,860 --> 00:32:33,600 It's Christmas' second staged accident with Morris. 480 00:32:33,820 --> 00:32:36,860 What they don't know is it will also be his last. 481 00:32:37,530 --> 00:32:41,490 But he was a good dude for a little bit of time that I spent waiting. He was 482 00:32:41,490 --> 00:32:47,290 more the one that was trying to keep everybody on a peaceful atmosphere. 483 00:32:48,170 --> 00:32:53,010 The peaceful atmosphere is soon interrupted by a passenger in a beat -up 484 00:32:53,010 --> 00:32:54,010 sedan. 485 00:32:54,110 --> 00:32:56,390 We hear this noise coming down the street. 486 00:32:56,610 --> 00:33:00,030 Pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit, pit. 487 00:33:00,610 --> 00:33:04,850 The girls look, and they started to move real fast up the hill. 488 00:33:05,230 --> 00:33:07,850 And the guy was like... Oh, baby, y 'all ain't got to run. 489 00:33:08,710 --> 00:33:10,710 Jeffrey takes a closer look. 490 00:33:11,330 --> 00:33:16,670 And when I look, the only thing I see is a barrel of a .40 Glock, like this. 491 00:33:17,130 --> 00:33:21,750 As Jeffrey backs away, he sees Eric Christmas move toward the car. 492 00:33:22,070 --> 00:33:28,310 I thought he knew the man because he placed his palms on the car, 493 00:33:28,470 --> 00:33:31,690 and like he was talking to him. So I thought he knew him. 494 00:33:32,110 --> 00:33:36,250 Christmas tries to talk to the driver, and Jeffrey takes advantage of the 495 00:33:36,250 --> 00:33:37,250 opportunity. 496 00:33:37,490 --> 00:33:41,250 I did the next best thing any man should do. I got the f*** out of there. 497 00:33:41,730 --> 00:33:46,190 So when I got there running, as soon as I cut the corner, you just heard it. 498 00:33:46,390 --> 00:33:49,250 Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. 499 00:33:49,710 --> 00:33:52,590 Gunshots ring out, and Jeffrey ducks for cover. 500 00:33:53,110 --> 00:33:57,150 After a few minutes of silence, he returns to check on Christmas. 501 00:33:58,490 --> 00:34:00,490 And when I came back, he was laying on the ground. 502 00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:05,560 with his hands face down, like with his head cocked to the side, his hands in 503 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,520 the back of him, and he just was looking at me. 504 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:13,400 Eric Christmas has been shot dead, the victim of a robbery gone wrong. 505 00:34:14,260 --> 00:34:19,219 Jeffrey says that Christmas' attempt to talk down the assailant gave him the 506 00:34:19,219 --> 00:34:20,980 chance to escape with his life. 507 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:27,199 Had it not been for that boy, I would not be able to stay here right now and 508 00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:29,340 tell y 'all that that man saved my life. 509 00:34:29,949 --> 00:34:33,290 When the police arrive, they take everyone at the scene downtown for 510 00:34:33,290 --> 00:34:37,730 questioning. Jeffrey goes through with the fake story to protect his co 511 00:34:37,730 --> 00:34:42,949 -conspirators. But anxious to move on, Jeffrey never files an insurance claim 512 00:34:42,949 --> 00:34:44,310 for the staged accident. 513 00:34:45,790 --> 00:34:51,409 Shockingly, some of the other phony victims do. When asked why, Jeffrey can 514 00:34:51,409 --> 00:34:52,409 only one thing. 515 00:34:52,710 --> 00:34:53,730 I don't know. 516 00:34:53,989 --> 00:34:54,989 I didn't know. 517 00:34:55,100 --> 00:35:00,360 I know this much. I had my mother always gave me morals and respectful folk. And 518 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,600 that's what stepped into my brain to do the right thing. And it wasn't to keep 519 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:08,520 this lie going on when it's made his day. 520 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:15,340 The murder of Eric Christmas is ruled a random act of violence, unrelated to the 521 00:35:15,340 --> 00:35:16,340 insurance fraud. 522 00:35:16,780 --> 00:35:18,540 But the neighborhood is scared. 523 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:21,440 And for Morris, it's the end of the line. 524 00:35:21,660 --> 00:35:27,630 He's lost Officer Riggins and now... his ability to recruit, he starts to sweat 525 00:35:27,630 --> 00:35:28,630 the pressure. 526 00:35:29,090 --> 00:35:34,470 In this undercover recording taken by an associate cooperating with detectives, 527 00:35:34,530 --> 00:35:39,850 Morris condemns Officer Riggins for not having other officers sign his phony 528 00:35:39,850 --> 00:35:40,850 reports. 529 00:35:42,570 --> 00:35:49,410 A few weeks later, Detective 530 00:35:49,410 --> 00:35:50,850 Quintilly gets a call. 531 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:54,060 Deshane Rickens wants to talk about Pop Morris. 532 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:59,720 Up next on American Greed, Morris' own words finally bring him down. 533 00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:05,260 And he's telling his co -conspirator not to speak to the police. It's proof of a 534 00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:06,260 guilty conscience. 535 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:22,620 Philadelphia, 2007. 536 00:36:23,380 --> 00:36:29,260 The walls are closing fast on Wallace Pop Morris, the former figurehead of a 537 00:36:29,260 --> 00:36:32,240 .2 million auto insurance fraud empire. 538 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:37,760 Philadelphia police officer Deshane Riggins, who once wrote Pop's fake 539 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:42,300 reports, is now cooperating with the district attorney's office. And Riggins 540 00:36:42,300 --> 00:36:45,700 agrees to secretly tape record phone calls with Pop. 541 00:36:47,670 --> 00:36:50,990 In this one, Pop urges him not to talk to the police. 542 00:36:55,610 --> 00:36:58,490 Prosecutor Linda Montag says this is a home run. 543 00:36:58,890 --> 00:37:03,190 What you hear is Pop saying, don't talk to anybody. 544 00:37:03,650 --> 00:37:04,930 Don't tell them anything. 545 00:37:05,190 --> 00:37:11,170 Don't speak to the detectives. And what that shows is Pop knew what he was doing 546 00:37:11,170 --> 00:37:12,170 was wrong. 547 00:37:12,780 --> 00:37:17,860 And he's telling his co -conspirator not to speak to the police. It's proof of a 548 00:37:17,860 --> 00:37:18,860 guilty conscience. 549 00:37:19,420 --> 00:37:25,140 In late July, Detective Al Quintelli of the Philadelphia District Attorney's 550 00:37:25,140 --> 00:37:29,300 Office executes search warrants at the homes of Morris and Officer Riggins. 551 00:37:30,010 --> 00:37:35,610 We found auto accident reports in Pop's house. We found scraps of paper listing 552 00:37:35,610 --> 00:37:39,110 all the people's names who might have been in the accidents in his house, in 553 00:37:39,110 --> 00:37:40,110 Deshane's house. 554 00:37:40,190 --> 00:37:47,070 On May 21, 2008, Wallace Morris is arrested and charged with 429 counts, 555 00:37:47,370 --> 00:37:52,650 including insurance fraud, theft by deception, and 45 counts of making false 556 00:37:52,650 --> 00:37:54,150 reports to law enforcement. 557 00:37:54,830 --> 00:37:58,510 But FBI agents still need to nail the crooked chiropractor, Dr. 558 00:37:58,730 --> 00:37:59,730 Stephen Rios. 559 00:38:00,170 --> 00:38:06,010 In March 2008, they send an undercover agent in to see Dr. Rios, and he's 560 00:38:06,010 --> 00:38:07,010 wearing a wire. 561 00:38:07,350 --> 00:38:11,090 Detective DeFrancesco explains the idea behind the operation. 562 00:38:11,690 --> 00:38:15,690 Not going to tell him anything about his injuries. Not going to tell him 563 00:38:15,690 --> 00:38:21,270 anything about what kind of accident he was involved in. And then to see what 564 00:38:21,270 --> 00:38:22,950 type of report the doctor would write. 565 00:38:23,550 --> 00:38:25,090 about that initial meeting. 566 00:38:25,450 --> 00:38:31,770 The tapes reveal an initial visit spent mostly discussing Rios' new condo and 567 00:38:31,770 --> 00:38:33,310 the Philadelphia Eagles season. 568 00:38:33,850 --> 00:38:39,030 Talked about everything except his injuries, what type of accident he was 569 00:38:39,190 --> 00:38:40,910 what kind of pain he was in. 570 00:38:41,250 --> 00:38:47,430 But in Rios' report to insurance, he claims his neck pain is severe, his 571 00:38:47,430 --> 00:38:52,150 is moderately disturbed. He states that sitting over 15 minutes causes him pain 572 00:38:52,150 --> 00:38:53,150 and discomfort. 573 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:55,880 Walking over a quarter mile causes him pain. 574 00:38:56,620 --> 00:39:00,700 Everything that he put on a report was never said to him, and that just proved 575 00:39:00,700 --> 00:39:05,280 that all the reports that we had gathered were all validated by that one 576 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:11,680 undercover. In February 2010, Dr. Stephen Rios is charged with 23 counts 577 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,340 fraud. He pleads guilty and gets four years in federal prison. 578 00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:19,700 Glory Kasner, the attorney who practiced out of Dr. 579 00:39:19,980 --> 00:39:25,620 Rios' office, pleads guilty to two counts of mail fraud, and gets three 580 00:39:25,620 --> 00:39:27,860 probation for filing the false claims. 581 00:39:28,340 --> 00:39:31,000 She is also suspended from practicing law. 582 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:34,760 Meanwhile, Jerry B .J. 583 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:39,680 Blazingale pleads guilty to the fraud charges, but contests charges of 584 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,740 assaulting an FBI agent during his high -speed pursuit. 585 00:39:43,340 --> 00:39:48,740 He tried to argue that he never hit us, that we hit him repeatedly, and he 586 00:39:48,740 --> 00:39:49,960 didn't realize that we were cops. 587 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:54,360 Even though we had seven marked units chasing him, along with our Crown 588 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:58,260 Victoria, which had lights and sirens on it, he tried to tell the court that he 589 00:39:58,260 --> 00:40:00,760 thought it was someone trying to do a hit on him. 590 00:40:01,020 --> 00:40:05,440 He is eventually found guilty and gets eight years in federal prison. 591 00:40:05,700 --> 00:40:09,940 His childhood friend, Officer Drexel Reed, gets two and a half years in 592 00:40:09,940 --> 00:40:12,380 for writing the fake accident reports. 593 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,740 According to him, it wasn't for the money. It was just because he was 594 00:40:15,740 --> 00:40:19,440 with BJ, and he thought, you know, he was doing it for a friend. 595 00:40:20,030 --> 00:40:24,190 And essentially he gave up his whole police career for these stupid reports. 596 00:40:25,030 --> 00:40:30,290 Daniel Cooper Yellow, the damage -enhancing mechanic, is given five years 597 00:40:30,290 --> 00:40:33,610 probation for his cooperation in bringing down the ring. 598 00:40:34,210 --> 00:40:38,610 The judge said from the bench, as brilliant and as calculated as he was in 599 00:40:38,610 --> 00:40:43,310 committing the crime, he was just as brilliant, calculating, and honest in 600 00:40:43,310 --> 00:40:45,710 leading them to every individual who was involved. 601 00:40:46,300 --> 00:40:50,880 Wallace Pop Morris, a ringleader of the massive underground business, pleads 602 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:56,180 guilty. He is sentenced to four to ten years in state prison and another 33 603 00:40:56,180 --> 00:40:57,280 months in federal. 604 00:40:57,500 --> 00:41:01,220 He's ordered to pay almost a half a million dollars in restitution. 605 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:06,040 His puppet cop, Deshane Riggins, is stripped of his badge. 606 00:41:06,380 --> 00:41:09,400 He is given a year of house arrest and seven years probation. 607 00:41:09,980 --> 00:41:13,120 Riggins loses his pension and now works in construction. 608 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:17,220 In total, the damage done is staggering. 609 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:20,100 We investigated over 100 fake accidents. 610 00:41:20,380 --> 00:41:25,160 Nearly 218 people were arrested and a total claim amount of nearly $2 million. 611 00:41:26,300 --> 00:41:32,160 $2 million in claims that, according to the insurance industry, will get passed 612 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:33,160 on to consumers. 613 00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:37,500 Like Morris himself in his day job as a limo driver. 614 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:43,700 The victims of insurance fraud are those of us in the public who pay regular 615 00:41:43,700 --> 00:41:49,100 insurance premiums. The judge that sentenced Morris mentioned that at his 616 00:41:49,100 --> 00:41:54,660 sentencing. She stated, I find it ironic that your limousine service closed down 617 00:41:54,660 --> 00:41:58,660 and you complain it closed down as a result of high insurance rates. 618 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:03,900 Donna Schluter, who just wanted to make a quick buck, now finds herself with 619 00:42:03,900 --> 00:42:04,900 criminal records. 620 00:42:05,230 --> 00:42:11,370 It seems all fine and dandy with rainbows and, you know, candy canes, but 621 00:42:11,370 --> 00:42:13,450 just going to come around and bite you in the ass in the long run. 622 00:42:13,690 --> 00:42:18,210 For others, like Angelina Adu, it hits even harder. 623 00:42:18,670 --> 00:42:21,190 You can't get a job because you've got a record. 624 00:42:21,430 --> 00:42:25,750 You know, you can look as sweet and beautiful as you want, but I did 625 00:42:25,750 --> 00:42:30,790 wrong to keep a roof over my head, and so today I have to pay for the things I 626 00:42:30,790 --> 00:42:32,690 did. It's a tough lesson. 627 00:42:33,180 --> 00:42:37,080 Taught by scam artists Pop Morris and B .J. 628 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:43,580 Blazingale. $1 ,200, have to give $600 away to the person that is, what, 629 00:42:43,580 --> 00:42:48,720 hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I'm getting crumbs, and end up in jail. 630 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:49,720 mean, for what? 631 00:42:50,580 --> 00:42:51,880 Ah, it ain't worth it.