LOS ANGELES — A reserve officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, Eric “Ben” Halem, and his brother Jacob Halem have been charged with insurance fraud after allegedly staging photos of a crash to support a false claim.
The alleged scheme began on January 2, 2023, when a customer of Eric Halem’s exotic car rental company crashed a Bentley Continental GT. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the accident, recording the damage on body cameras before impounding the vehicle.
The renter filed an insurance claim, which was denied by the provider, according to the California Department of Insurance.
Following the denial, Eric Halem reportedly filed a claim under his own insurance policy, stating that his brother Jacob had crashed the Bentley on January 5, 2023. Investigators say the Halem brothers staged photos showing the damaged luxury car on a tow truck near the alleged crash site.
Jacob Halem also allegedly submitted a false statement to investigators, the Department of Insurance added.
When the insurance company reviewed the claim, they discovered Eric Halem had contacted them twice to obtain proof of insurance to release the Bentley from impound. Comparing the deputies’ bodycam footage with the staged photos, investigators found the vehicle damage was identical, revealing the fraud.
