NEWS RELEASE
Evansville – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler, yesterday announced federal charges against 36 individuals in an elaborate scheme to defraud insurance companies by staging automobile crashes and filing false police reports. Three SWAT teams and over 70 federal, state and local law enforcement officials served warrants this morning in the tri-state area, apprehending those involved.
“The Burris family is the face of organized crime in the Evansville area,” said Minkler. “My office has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to those who conspire to steal money and put countless lives at risk through their dangerous scheme.”
The indictment alleges that between 2008 and 2014, Michael W. Burris, Sr. 56, his wife Lisa K. Burris, 53, their sons Justin A. Burris, 26, and David B. Smitha, 38, and others, planned a series of automobile crashes in and around Evansville. They recruited persons to participate in the staged crashes, made false police reports about the crashes, and then filed claims with insurance providers for “injuries” suffered in the crash which were self-inflicted or fabricated.
In several scenarios, members of the Burris family conspiracy acquired an automobile to use in the staged crash and made certain the vehicle was insured or obtained insurance just weeks before the staged crash. They would then recruit someone to crash the vehicle in a remote area, into a tree or other fixed object causing significant damage. After the crash, the driver would leave the scene and other recruited participants waiting nearby would enter the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel to respond. They would then make a false police report and be taken to the hospital for their purported injuries. Vehicles were often loaded with three or four people after the staged crash to maximize insurance claims.
The indictment further alleges Burris Sr. and his conspirators purposely injured the “victims” to create an appearance that they sustained the injuries in the crash. They did this by punching them in the face, cutting their face with a razor blade and using a wire brush on their forehead.
Lisa Burris and other conspirators instructed the crash participants on how to appear injured by not exiting the vehicle under their own power, using emergency medical resources, and running up medical expenses through hospital stays. She had the “victims” submit false insurance claims and would coach them on how to answer questions from the insurance representatives. When the crash participants received their injury claim checks from the insurance companies, it is alleged in the Indictment that Michael Burris, Sr. and the participants would go directly to the bank on which the check was written, get cash, and divide it among the conspirators.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Evansville Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshal Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives assisted in the arrest of the 36 persons charged in the indictment today.
“Over the last year and half, the Secret Service has tirelessly pursued justice with the assistance of many other federal, state and local agencies,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Dvorak. “Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. This type of fraud can have a significant detrimental effect on the economy of our community. We are proud that the significant and numerous arrests made here today will have a positive impact on the city of Evansville and hopefully deter similar crimes in the future.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to strongly pursue its mission of investigating mail fraud crimes and protecting the US Postal Service and its customers,” stated Inspector in Charge, Tommy Coke, Pittsburgh Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“When I started my career in retail loss prevention over twenty years ago, the Burris family and their associates were one of the first criminal groups I dealt with,” said Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin. “It would be nice if they learned from their past mistakes, but it appears they’ve just become more sophisticated in their schemes.”
“I’m pleased the state police were able to play a role in advancing this investigation” said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. “Financial crimes like this impact insurance premiums for honest people and this particular criminal enterprise also resulted in public safety resources responding to staged crash scenes,” Carter concluded.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd S. Shellenbarger and Kyle Sawa who are prosecuting this case for the government, each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release.
An indictment is only a charge and not an indication of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The following individuals were indicted
Michael W. Burris, Sr. Age 56 Evansville, Indiana
Lisa K. Burris Age 53 Evansville, Indiana
David B. Smitha Age 38 Evansville, Indiana
Justin A. Burris Age 26 Evansville, Indiana
Amanda J. Carreno Age 35 Evansville, Indiana
Timothy S. Ivy Age 44 Evansville, Indiana
Michael W. Burris, Jr. Age 30 Evansville, Indiana
Timothy P. Rice Age 38 Evansville, Indiana
Shawn M. Wright Age 21 Henderson, Kentucky
Jordan T. Lawrence Age 21 Evansville, Indiana
Joshua J. Norman Age 25 Evansville, Indiana
Shaun T. Gibson Age 36 Evansville, Indiana
Kyle Blake Lee Smitha Age 20 Evansville, Indiana
Thomas J. Thomas Age 21 Evansville, Indiana
Alyssa R. Vailes Age 22 Evansville, Indiana
Latisha L. Smith Age 36 Evansville, Indiana
Dillon A. Williams Age 22 Evansville, Indiana
Brooke N. Cox Age 32 Evansville, Indiana
Brooke N. Ewers Age 27 Evansville, Indiana
Toni J. Wilson Age 41 Evansville, Indiana
Jerry A. McGill Age 55 Evansville, Indiana
Benjamin W. Widick Age 42 Evansville, Indiana
Lynn M. Smitha Age 34 Evansville, Indiana
Phillip J. Gibson Age 37 Chandler, Indiana
Michelle L. Stuard Age 30 Evansville, Indiana
Ariel R. Pace Age 24 Evansville, Indiana
Ashley N. Hines Age 29 Evansville, Indiana
Crystal D. Uziekalla Age 41 Evansville, Indiana
David W. Uziekalla Age 38 Wadesville, Indiana
Tiffany L. Bowen Age 26 Evansville, Indiana
Shawna M. Morell Age 35 Chandler, Indiana
Jamey L. Grant Age 27 Evansville, Indiana
Ryan Maun Age 28 Evansville, Indiana
Mary E. Houchin Age 36 Evansville, Indiana
Theresa A. Frank Age 31 Boonville, Indiana
Sherry W. Greenwalt Age 41 Evansville, Indiana