Numerous defendants, including a chiropractor and an attorney, are accused of defrauding more than 19 insurers out of $549,000 through a staged auto accident ring in California dubbed “Operation Big Fish” by prosecutors.

The Los Angeles County (Calif.) District Attorney’s Office says those arrested in the early morning hours of March 11 are part of a larger conspiracy involving more than 300 suspects. Since the beginning of “Operation Big Fish” in April 2007, 63 conspirators have been charged and 27 of those individuals have pleaded.

Among the most recent defendants are attorney Vadim Schar, 40, of Encino, Calif., charged with 16 counts of insurance fraud and four counts of possession of illegal narcotics, including cocaine, methamphetamine, concentrated cannabis and marijuana.

Also arrested were chiropractor Arkady Pishik, 52, who faces 14 counts of insurance fraud, and paralegal administrator Alex Shidlovitsky, 56, charged with 22 fraud counts. Also arrested were chiropractors Arutyun Tovanyan, 33, and Dely Diaz, 37, as well as paralegal administrators Geliya Akselrud, 67, and Michael Itkin, 50. The four collectively face 42 counts of insurance fraud.