SmartHomeOwners

WINNIPEG: Police in Winnipeg allege organized crime was behind a string of fraud cases against Manitoba's Crown-owned auto insurer.

Last year, Project Rollback revealed odometer fraud, sale document manipulation and staged car crashes that ripped off Manitoba Public Insurance to the tune of $800,000.

Police say that after nearly a year of reviewing evidence, the Crown is laying additional charges of participating in a criminal organization and committing of an offence for a criminal organization against four people.

Quincy Adurogboye, 30, Maria Austera, 32, Lamont Sesay, 28 and Kaela Leigh Perry, 24, all of Winnipeg, face the new charges.

A warrant has been issued for Norman Raymond Beardy, 41, of Winnipeg.

Police say the organized crime group received inflated MPI claim payouts as a result of the frauds.