News: 2007 Press Release

WOODLAND HILLS - Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced today the arrests of two brothers charged with felony insurance fraud, conspiracy and perjury. Masood D. Pymanee, 32, and Mahboob D. Pymanee, 30, both of Woodland Hills, were arrested on August 15, 2007 and booked on $264,000 and $299,000 bail respectively at the Los Angeles County Police Department Valley Jail in Van Nuys.

"Insurance fraud is illegal and increases the cost of insurance for all Californians," said Commissioner Poizner. "Thanks to the hard work of dedicated Department of Insurance fraud investigators, another attempted fraud scheme has been foiled."

In May 2007, CDI Fraud Division investigators received a tip that Masood Pymanee was allegedly soliciting assistance in the disposal of his 2006 Mercedes Benz SL500. An undercover CDI investigator met with Masood Pymanee, who allegedly informed him that he wanted to stage the theft of his vehicle to scam his insurance company out of an estimated $90,000. On May 25, 2007, Pymanee allegedly voluntarily turned over his vehicle to the undercover investigator, who he believed would assist him with his scam.

A few days after the "theft," Masood Pymanee reported that his vehicle had been stolen to the Los Angeles Police Department and to his insurance company, who had already been notified of the CDI investigation. Mahboob Pymanee allegedly assisted his brother in the scam by providing a recorded statement to the insurance company that he saw his brother secure his Mercedes Benz at the location from which he claimed it was stolen.

Through the course of the CDI investigation, it was also revealed that Masood Pymanee allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim to another automobile insurance company for over $6,000 in damages to his 2004 Honda Civic. Pymanee allegedly claimed his parked vehicle incurred damages in June 2006. Investigators discovered that the damages to his vehicle were allegedly sustained in April 2006, but were not covered at that time because the individual driving the vehicle was excluded on Pymanee's insurance policy.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is prosecuting this case. If anyone would like to report insurance fraud or has any insurance-related questions, they should dial 1-800-927-HELP.