Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK

A group of B.C. residents and an auto body shop found to have staged collisions in an effort to defraud ICBC have been ordered to collectively pay $155,000 as a punishment.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Duncan described the fraudulent scheme as "outrageous" and issued punitive damages ranging from $50,000 to $5,000 to the seven individuals involved.

While the Justice said the scheme was "reprehensible" and all seven were found to have defrauded ICBC following a civil trial, it does not appear that anyone involved was criminally charged for their involvement in the fraud.

According to an April 13 B.C. Supreme Court decision, Surrey-based Pro Choice Auto Body, along with Karishma Komal Prakash, Mehrafarin Mehran, Mohammad Raza Rasuli, Mahmoud Haghmohammadi, Gursharanjit Singh Bagri and Major Singh all had a part in staging three-vehicle collisions in order to defraud ICBC.

Taking place in quiet streets with no witnesses, all three collisions were rear-ended accidents that then had personal injury claims.

The crashes all took place within a few months in 2013 and were uncovered following an ICBC investigation.

ICBC then sued over the false claims.

An earlier court decision left all the defendants on the hook for $84,111 with an extra $20,000 added on to cover the costs of the original insurance claims.

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ICBC then argued for punitive damages.

The Justice ruled Haghmohammadi had "persistent fraudulent conduct" and ordered he pay $50,000.

Second in line was Inderjit Singh, who was ordered to pay $30,000.

"I am satisfied that he was at or near the top of the organizational pyramid with his friend and co-worker, Mr. Haghmohammadi," the Justice said.

Karishma Prakash was ordered to pay $30,000 and several others were ordered to pay between $15,000 and $7,500.

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Gursharanjit Singh Bagri, who was a teenager at the time, was seen as the lease blameworthy and ordered to pay $5,000.

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