Mother and son sentenced to one year in jail for insurance fraud

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — A man and his 71-year-old mother were sentenced to one year in jail and placed on three years probation Thursday for submitting multiple fraudulent auto insurance claims to insurers 

Peter Silva, 42, pleaded guilty last November to knowingly presenting a false claim for the payments of a loss for theft, destruction or damage of a motor vehicle.

His mother, Henrietta Silva, also pleaded guilty to knowingly presenting multiple claims for the same loss or injury and was given a suspended 270-day sentence, as long as she completes five days of public work service and pays $15,434 in restitution.

Both defendants were sentenced Thursday.

“Insurance fraud is a multibillion-dollar crime that has real costs to consumers,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “Insurers pass along their losses to policyholders through higher insurance premiums, which means we all pay.”

The Department of Insurance launched an investigation after receiving a referral from an insurance company after the Silvas submitted several auto insurance claims for identical damages.