TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — State investigators have arrested two men accused of selling fraudulent commercial insurance policies to tow-truck operators in Miami-Dade County, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Criminal Investigation Division.
Investigators announced on Tuesday that 24 tow-truck insurance policies were issued using falsified or inaccurate information to meet state-required insurance limits. The policies were sold to vehicle owners who believed they were purchasing legitimate coverage.
According to DFS, one of the men involved, Aliba Lamas Alvarez, is not licensed to sell insurance in Florida. Investigators also reported that he is in the country without legal status. Lamas Alvarez was arrested on February 5, 2026, in Miami-Dade County and faces charges including acting as an insurance agent without a license, participating in an organized scheme to defraud, and forgery.
The second suspect, licensed insurance agent Javier Gonzalez Jr., was arrested the same day. Gonzalez is charged with filing false and fraudulent insurance claims and participating in an organized scheme to defraud, according to the news release.
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Both arrests stem from an investigation conducted by DFS’s Criminal Investigation Division. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case.
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State officials are encouraging anyone with information related to insurance fraud to report it at FraudFreeFlorida.com.