FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A federal judge has sentenced a Naples man to 14 years in prison for his part in a scheme with five other people to defraud insurance companies.
52-year-old Nesly Loute was found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in September, and has just been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Poster Chappell.
According to the Department of Justice, Loute conspired with others to operate unlicensed chiropractic clinics and bill automobile insurance companies for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits. Some of them also paid patients to induce them to seek treatment at the unlicensed clinics so that the automobile insurance companies could be billed for their PIP benefits.
In addition, members of the conspiracy participated in staged motor vehicle accidents and then submitted claims to automobile insurance companies for PIP benefits based on those fake motor vehicle accidents.
Loute's sentence is the most severe in this case so far. Four others have already been sentenced, receiving sentences ranging from probation to 37 months in prison.
One remaining member of the group remains to be sentenced.
