Latest news with #JacobHalem
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
LAPD reserve officer and his brother arrested for insurance fraud
A reserve officer from the Los Angeles Police Department and his brother face insurance fraud charges after they allegedly staged photos of a crash for a false claim. The alleged scheme started on Jan. 2, 2023, after a customer of reserve officer Eric "Ben" Halem's exotic rental company crashed a Bentley Continental GT. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to the collision and used their body cameras to document the damage before impounding the luxury car. The renter filed a claim with their insurance provider, but it was denied, according to the California Department of Insurance. After learning about the denial, Eric Halem allegedly filed a claim under his personal policy and told adjusters that his brother Jacob Halem had crashed the Bentley on Jan. 5, 2023. Former LAPD officer and current reserve officer Eric "Ben" Halem, 37, was charged with insurance fraud after allegedly staging photos of a crash. CA Department of Insurance Investigators said the brothers staged photos of the damaged luxury car on a tow truck near the alleged crash site. The Department of Insurance added that Jacob Halem allegedly filed a false statement with investigators. After receiving the claim, the provider realized that Eric Halem had contacted them twice to obtain proof of insurance to release the damaged Bentley from the impound lot. They compared the deputies' bodycam footage to the Halem brothers' photos and determined the damage to the luxury car was identical, according to the Department of Insurance.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former LAPD reserve officer and his brother charged with insurance fraud over Bentley crash
A former Los Angeles Police Department reserve officer and his brother have been charged with insurance fraud after prosecutors say they misrepresented details in a more than $200,000 insurance claim related to a Bentley crash in January 2023. Eric Benjamin 'Ben' Halem, 37, a former full-time LAPD officer and ex-reserve officer, pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of insurance fraud on Friday. His brother Jacob Halem, 32, also pleaded not guilty to a count of insurance fraud, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Eric Halem's car rental company, Drive LA, boasts a fleet of rare, luxury vehicles, including a 2020 Bentley Continental GT. The California Department of Insurance said in a news release on Friday that Eric Halem told his insurance company that his brother had borrowed the vehicle and crashed it on Jan. 5, 2023. Read more: They said a bear attacked their Rolls Royce. But the real culprit was even stranger But the department's investigation revealed that the Bentley had been rented by a Drive LA client and that the renter crashed the vehicle three days before the brothers claimed Jacob crashed it. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the accident scene involving the rental driver and documented the vehicle's damage with body camera footage, the insurance department said in its release. After the rental driver's insurance claim was denied because of a lack of proper coverage, Eric Halem filed a fraudulent claim with his insurance company on his personal policy, misrepresenting details of the accident, authorities allege. An attorney representing Jacob Halem did not immediately return a request for comment. It is not clear if Eric Halem has an attorney. Read more: A smashed Polaris Slingshot, friends inside the CHP. How investigators unraveled an insurance plot The department of insurance alleges that Eric Halem claimed his brother had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, which they said was on Jan. 5, 2023. They submitted what the department called 'staged photographs' of the damaged Bentley on a tow truck. Insurance department investigators said the damage in the photos the brothers submitted was identical to the damage captured on body camera footage from the renter's crash three days earlier. Authorities allege Jacob Halem provided a false statement to the insurance company investigator to corroborate his brother's claim. It isn't clear if the insurance company paid for the car to be fixed. The department of insurance said the "total potential loss" from the claim was $229,283. Eric Halem was removed as a reserve officer with LAPD in March, according to a department spokesperson. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LAPD reserve officer, brother charged with insurance fraud in Bentley crash
A reserve Los Angeles Police Department officer and his brother are facing felony charges after they allegedly committed insurance fraud with a Bentley convertible. Eric Benjamin Halem, 37, and his 32-year-old brother Jacob Halem were investigated by the California Department of Insurance, the agency said in a news release. The elder Halem, who serves as a reserve officer for the LAPD but was formerly a full-time officer, is accused of falsely reporting a crash involving a 2020 Bentley Continental GT, officials said. According to CDI officials, Benjamin Halem claimed his brother Jacob was the one driving the luxury vehicle when it was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Jan. 5, 2023. The Bentley, however, had been rented out through Ben Halem's company, Drive LA, which offers exotic car rentals and other services. Drive LA's website shows a Bentley Continental GTC available to be rented for $875 per day. It was during a rental period three days before the reported crash that the damage was actually done, CDI said, and it was the unnamed renter, not Jacob Halem, who was driving at the time. After the driver's insurance claim was denied by their company, Ben Halem 'allegedly filed a fraudulent claim with his insurance company on his personal policy, misrepresenting the accident details,' the release explained. 'He claimed that his brother, Jacob Halem, had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. To support their false claim, Eric and Jacob Halem submitted staged photographs of the damaged Bentley on a tow truck near the alleged accident location,' CDI said. Jacob Halem also 'provided a false statement to the insurance company investigator in an effort to corroborate his brother's fraudulent claim,' officials said. Their attempt was unsuccessful, however, as insurance adjusters used body-camera footage from Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies responding to the real crash to demonstrate that the damage to the vehicle was done in the renter's crash on Jan. 2, 2023, not three days later. State officials said the fraud could have cost the insurance company more than $229,000. 'Insurance fraud impacts all Californians by driving up costs for consumers and businesses,' CDI said. 'If you suspect insurance fraud, report it to the California Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or visit Jail records show Ben Halem was arrested on March 27 and is free on $50,000 bond. Jacob Halem did not appear in a search of the records. The two men have been arraigned, CDI said, but no court information was available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Former LAPD reserve officer and his brother charged with insurance fraud over Bentley crash
A former Los Angeles Police Department reserve officer and his brother have been charged with insurance fraud after prosecutors say they misrepresented details in a more than $200,000 insurance claim related to a Bentley crash in January 2023. Eric Benjamin 'Ben' Halem, 37, a former full-time LAPD officer and ex-reserve officer, pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of insurance fraud on Friday. His brother Jacob Halem, 32, also pleaded not guilty to a count of insurance fraud, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Eric Halem's car rental company, Drive LA, boasts a fleet of rare, luxury vehicles, including a 2020 Bentley Continental GT. The California Department of Insurance said in a news release on Friday that Eric Halem told his insurance company that his brother had borrowed the vehicle and crashed it on Jan. 5, 2023. But the department's investigation revealed that the Bentley had been rented by a Drive LA client and that the renter crashed the vehicle three days before the brothers claimed Jacob crashed it. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the accident scene involving the rental driver and documented the vehicle's damage with body camera footage, the insurance department said in its release. After the rental driver's insurance claim was denied because of a lack of proper coverage, Eric Halem filed a fraudulent claim with his insurance company on his personal policy, misrepresenting details of the accident, authorities allege. An attorney representing Jacob Halem did not immediately return a request for comment. It is not clear if Eric Halem has an attorney. The department of insurance alleges that Eric Halem claimed his brother had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, which they said was on Jan. 5, 2023. They submitted what the department called 'staged photographs' of the damaged Bentley on a tow truck. Insurance department investigators said the damage in the photos the brothers submitted was identical to the damage captured on body camera footage from the renter's crash three days earlier. Authorities allege Jacob Halem provided a false statement to the insurance company investigator to corroborate his brother's claim. It isn't clear if the insurance company paid for the car to be fixed. The department of insurance said the 'total potential loss' from the claim was $229,283. Eric Halem was removed as a reserve officer with LAPD in March, according to a department spokesperson.
