S. Tahoe man faces insurance fraud charges
By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee
A South Lake Tahoe man has been arrested, accused of auto insurance fraud.
Braden Scott Leeds was arrested Monday by investigators with the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office after a nine-count felony complaint was filed with the El Dorado County Superior Court. The arrest was the culmination of a two-month investigation by California Bureau of Automotive Repair investigators, with assistance of investigators from the DA’s Office.
Leeds reportedly moved to the South Lake Tahoe area from Texas after a July hail storm and set up shop at 2028 Fifth St., Suite 3, under the business name Disaster Management Group. Leeds allegedly engaged in a false-billing scheme, in which he was paid by insurance companies for new parts to be installed on hail-damaged vehicles but instead performed paint-less dent repair.