After a year-long investigation by the California Department of Insurance, eight people were arrested on charges of running a staged auto collision ring, costing insurance companies more than $200,000.

More than 83 felony counts of insurance fraud were filed against the suspects, arrested throughout San Diego County, for their alleged roles in staging violent auto collisions in order to fraudulently collect money from the insurers, according to the department.

The alleged ring leader, Jay Stoney Anderson, 31, of Chula Vista, Calif., faces 28 counts, accused of being involved in at least seven collisions. Anderson faces up to 11 years in prison, if convicted on the charges, and is already in custody for a probation violation.

In each collision, the “hammer” vehicle – the one that caused the collision – was abandoned at the scene prior to police arrival, the department said. A follow-up investigation revealed that the hammer vehicles had either been abandoned by their registered owners or reported stolen prior to the reported collision.

Passengers in the “nail” vehicle – the other vehicle involved – claimed injuries and treatment at local hospitals, and later filed personal injury claims with the insurer.

The department said to date, seven carriers have paid more than $200,000 to suspects involved in 11 staged collisions. The carriers were not named by the department.

When insurers settled the claims, the payment checks were sent directly to the “injured” passengers in the nail vehicle, who allegedly left outstanding hospital bills.

In one of the staged collisions, an occupant of the nail vehicle left a backpack behind and numerous connections between the owners of the hammer vehicle to the occupants of the nail vehicles were discovered by investigators.

The investigation revealed numerous connections between participants of each collision and Anderson, according to the department.