​NEWS RELEASE 

FROM:  
Stephen Gibbons, Assistant District Attorney   CONTACT PERSON: 
Stan Voyles, Deputy District Attorney
Insurance Fraud Unit, (408) 792-2735   For release on October 12, 2004      NEWS CONFERENCE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2004 – 12:30 P.M.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
  CALIFORNIA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER JOHN GARAMENDI AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE KENNEDY TO DISCUSS TEN DEFENDANTS WHO WERE CHARGED FOR OPERATING  TWO SEPARATE MAJOR INSURANCE FRAUD RINGS
 As a result of an investigation by the California Department of Insurance and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Urban Auto Task Force, a Grand Jury returned a 46 count indictment on September 30, 2004 against legal clinic operator Teodoro Basa Alvarez (aka Ted Alvarez - age 46) of Chandler, Arizona, attorney David Peter Weaver (age 67) of San Francisco, chiropractor Ghassan Michel Joudy (age 41) from Western Chiropractic in San Jose, chiropractor Carlo Ravara Maravilla (age 30) Vallejo, from the Executive Care Center in San Jose, bookkeeper Cleopatra Punay Tiong (age 79) of Daly City, and Edna Bibera Raqueno (age 46), Livermore, from Faith One Auto Body in San Jose.  All defendants, except Cleopatra Tiong, who is believed to be in the Philippines, have been arrested or surrendered to authorities.   In another case, an undercover investigation resulted in the arrests of attorney Hume Joseph Jung (age 35) from Oakland, his Santa Clara office manager Kisik James Son (age 44), and chiropractors and brothers Christopher Hyungkeum Sim (age 37) and Tom Hyangkeun Sim (age 33).  All were charged with insurance fraud and related charges. The Sim brothers operated the St. Thomas Clinic in Santa Clara. All four defendants have been arraigned in court.   California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi and District Attorney George Kennedy will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. today in the District Attorney’s Office at 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA in the 4th Floor Conference Room concerning these cases. A more detailed press release with handouts will be issued at conference time and questions will be answered at that time.   ###