Naples PIP Scheme King Gets 14 Years

Fort Myers, FL – The grimy details of Nesly Loute’s (52, Naples) 14-year sentence for orchestrating a colossal Personal Injury Protection (PIP) fraud scheme have been sealed by U.S. District Judge Sheri Poster Chappell. Alongside this heavy penalty, the court has ordered Loute to cough up $2,146,147.23 in restitution to victimized auto insurance companies.

Loute was convicted by a federal jury on September 29, 2016, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, after a six-day trial exposed his elaborate plot to bilk automobile insurance firms. According to the evidence, Loute and his cronies operated dodgy chiropractic clinics with one sinister goal: billing insurers for PIP benefits. They didn’t stop there; they even paid patients to seek treatment at these clinics and submitted fraudulent claims based on fake car accidents.

Five of Loute’s accomplices have already copped to related charges, including Garry Joseph (37, Naples), who got 37 months behind bars for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Maria Victoria Lopez (44, Moore Haven) was handed a three-year probation sentence, while David Adamson (47, Bonita Springs), a licensed chiropractor, dodged prison time with a five-year term of probation and home confinement. Wisler Cyrius (35, Naples) awaits sentencing on March 13, 2017.

This case was the product of a massive investigation involving the FBI, Florida’s Department of Financial Services, IRS-CI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and multiple state agencies. Scores of insurance companies including Travelers and Allstate also lent their weight to the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles D. Schmitz and David G. Lazarus led the charge against Loute.