News: 2010 Press Release

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today announced that Jordan Hendrickson, 25, of San Jose was arrested Jan. 13 and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of felony auto insurance fraud. Her boyfriend, Ryan Morton, 25, of Santa Clara, appeared before a judge Jan. 19 on the same charge and a hearing has been set for Feb. 5, 2010. If convicted, each could face as many as five years in prison and as much as $10,000 in fines.

"Auto fraud continues to be a state-wide scourge and my department, along with the good folks in local law enforcement and district attorney's offices throughout the state, will continue to be vigilant," Commissioner Poizner said. "We all pay when people commit these types of crimes."

A California Department of Insurance (CDI) Urban Auto Fraud Task Force investigation alleges that after a vehicle accident on Feb. 23, 2009 involving Hendrickson and another motorist, Hendrickson purchased a vehicle policy from Esurance and tried to claim the accident happened after she purchased the insurance policy. The investigation also alleges that Hendrickson conspired with Morton, her boyfriend, to change the time of the accident to make it appear Hendrickson was covered. It is alleged that Morton lied to an Esurance investigator when interviewed about the collision that occurred on Interstate 880 in Campbell.

The Urban Auto Fraud Task Force is comprised of CDI, California Highway Patrol and Santa Clara County District Attorney investigators.

Commissioner Poizner oversees 16 CDI Enforcement Branch regional offices throughout the state. Approximately 2,000 insurance fraud-related arrests have been made by the Department of Insurance's enforcement division since Commissioner Poizner took office in 2007 - more arrests than have been made during any other two year period, under any previous insurance commissioner