Former Gov. of Philippines Booked on $2M Felony Warrant

Eduardo Rodriguez, 61, a former governor of Quezon Province in the Philippines, was held to answer on multiple charges, including reportedly faking the deaths of his mother-in-law and wife to illegally collect more than $150,000 on insurance policies.

Rodriguez was booked into the Los Angeles County Jail on June 4, on five counts of insurance fraud, two counts of grand theft and three counts of attempted grand theft. He pled not guilty to the charges on June 6th, but a judge ruled that he would be held to answer on four counts of insurance fraud, one count of grand theft and all three counts of attempted grand theft. Bail was set at $2 million.

A former resident of Northridge, Rodriguez had been a fugitive from authorities and had lived outside of the United States since 1985. He was brought back to the country from the Philippine Islands this month by the United States Deputy Marshals Office. The arrest resulted from a lengthy investigation by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) Fraud Division.

The original case against him was filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in 1985. CDI Fraud investigators said that Rodriguez and his wife Imelda filed a life insurance claim in 1984 declaring that Imelda’s mother had died. The couple collected $51,134 as sole beneficiaries of the policy. Investigators added that in 1985, Rodriguez filed additional claims stating his wife died. Multiple insurance claims were filed with four different insurers and Rodriguez was paid $100,000. Total loss if all claims were paid would have been approximately $850,000. Subsequent investigation disclosed both Imelda and her mother were alive at the time of the insurance claims.

Efforts are underway to extradite Imelda Rodriguez, 61, to the United States. She is charged with one count of insurance fraud.