Officials announce anti gun initiative

Acting N.J. Attorney General John Hoffman today announced that Olivares Liberato-Cohen, 46, of Passaic, pleaded guilty to staging two auto accidents in 2010 in order to collect more than $179,000. (John O'Boyle | The Star-Ledger)

Olivares Liberato-Cohen, 45, was among six Passaic residents indicted for conspiring to stage an automobile accident in 2009 in order to fraudulently collect more than $78,000 in insurance payments, state authorities said today.

TRENTON — Five Passaic residents have been indicted on charges that they staged a car accident five years ago in order to fraudulently collect more than $78,000 in insurance benefits, the state Attorney General's Office said today.

On April 29, 2009, authorities allege Olivares Liberato-Cohen, 45, purposefully drove his Dodge Caravan and three passengers — Jonathan Damian, 26; Harold Gross, 29; and Jenny Encarnacion, 33 — into a Dodge Avenger driven by a co-conspirator and carrying one passenger, Ariel Ballista, 27.

The co-conspirator was not indicted and not identified by authorities.

After the accident, authorities allege, Liberato-Cohen, Ballista, Gross, Damian and Encarnacion visited various medical centers and submitted, or caused to be submitted, claims to two insurance companies that insured the vehicles and people involved.

As a result of the scheme, the group allegedly defrauded the companies of $78,829 in medical reimbursement payments and bodily injury settlements. A sixth person, Husayn Encarnacion, was accused of helping Liberato-Cohen recruit his wife in the scheme.

A state grand jury charged the group April 10 with conspiracy, insurance fraud and theft by deception. If convicted, the most serious charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison. State authorities said the case was the result of a prior investigation into staged accidents that occurred in Passaic County and involved Liberato-Cohen.

The charges against him in a separate indictment are pending, authorities said.

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