A former Los Angeles Police Department reserve officer and his brother have been charged with insurance fraud because prosecutors said they misrepresented details in a January 2023 insurance claim related to the Bentley crash.
Eric Benjamin “Ben” Halem, 37, a former full-time LAPD official and former retention officer, was not guilty of two counts of felony insurance fraud on Friday. His brother Jacob Halem also pleaded not guilty to insurance fraud, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Drive LA, Eric Halem’s car rental company, has a rare luxury fleet that includes the 2020 Bentley Continental GT. Eric Halem told his insurance company that his brother borrowed a vehicle and crashed on January 5, 2023, the California Insurance Agency said in a press release Friday.
But the department’s investigation revealed that Bentley was rented by a Los Angeles Drive customer, and the renter crashed three days before the brothers claimed Jacob crashed.
During release, the insurance department said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department representatives responded to the accident scene involving the rental driver and recorded damage to the vehicle’s camera lens.
Eric Halem filed a fraudulent claim against his insurance company for his personal policy after the lease driver was denied due to lack of proper coverage.
The attorney representing Jacob Halem did not immediately return the request for comment. It is not clear whether Eric Halem has a lawyer.
The Insurance Department said Eric Halem claimed his brother had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, which they said was January 5, 2023.
Insurance Department investigators said the damage in the photos submitted by the brothers was the same as the damage caused in the tenant’s crash three days ago.
Authorities say Jacob Halem provided false statements to insurer investigators to confirm his brother’s claims.
The Insurance Department confirmed Friday that the insurer did not pay any fees for the claim. The agency said the “total potential loss” of the claim would be $229,283.
Eric Halem was removed from LAPD in March, according to a department spokesman.
