Authorities from the Michigan State Police and Attorney General investigators arrested Norman Dehko, 35, at Somerset Auto Body Shop, 20461 John R., Detroit, MI.  Norman is expected to be arraigned later this afternoon and will be charged with: 1-count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony and/or a $100,000 fine; 7-counts of False Pretenses, a 5-year felony and or a $10,000 fine, 10-counts of Insurance Fraud, a 4-year felony and or a $50,000 fine, 14-counts of Conspiracy to Commit Fraudulent Acts, a 10-year and or a $50,000 fine, 10-counts of Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses, a 5-year felony and or a $10,000 fine and 1-count of Forgery, a 14-year felony.
  
Latifa Dehko, 51, was arrested at her home, 4128 Autumn Ridge, West Bloomfield.  Latifa is expected to be arraigned later this afternoon and will be charged with: 1-count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony and or a $100,000 fine; 2-counts of False Pretenses, a 5-year felony and or a $10,000 fine, 9-counts of Conspiracy to Commit Fraudulent Acts, a ten-year felony and or a $50,000 fine and seven counts of Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses, a five-year felony and or a $10,000 fine.

Dickow Dehko, 31, was arrested at his home, 4128 Autumn Ridge, West Bloomfield.  Dickow is expected to be arraigned later this afternoon and will be charged with: 1-count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony and or a $100,000 fine; 6-counts of False Pretenses, a 5-year felony and or a $10,000 fine, 9-counts of Insurance Fraud, a 4-year felony and or a $50,000 fine, 10-counts of Conspiracy to Commit Fraudulent Acts, a 10-year felony and or a $50,000 fine, 8-counts of Conspiracy to Commit False Pretenses, a 5-year felony and or a $10,000 fine.

Beginning in September 2002, the Special Investigative Unit of State Farm Insurance identified a series of suspicious insurance claims originating from Somerset Collision, a Detroit auto repair facility located on John R. Street in Detroit.  These initial suspicious claims involved falsified reports of the theft of air bags and enhancing collision damage in an effort by the auto repair facility to defraud various insurance companies.  As a result of these suspicious insurance claims the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Michigan State Police Major Crime Unit opened a multi-agency investigation to better determine the overall scope of the suspected fraudulent insurance practices at Somerset Collision and up to ten additional related repair facilities.  
 
During the initial phases of the investigation it was determined that Norman Dehko was either the registered agent or the manager and operator of the following Detroit area auto repair facilities: Somerset Auto Center, a.k.a. Somerset Collision, a.k.a. Somerset Auto Body; Bojax Auto Collision; Dynamic Collision, Incorporated; The Collision Connection, Incorporated; The Collision Connection, LLC; Ultimate Collision, Incorporated; Ultimate Collision, LLC; and Foreign and Domestic Collision.  According to Articles of Incorporation filed with the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Norman Dehko's mother, Latifa Dehko, was the registered agent and President of Somerset Auto Center, which included the Somerset Auto repair facility operated and managed by her sons, Norman Dehko and Dickow Dehko.  In addition, the investigators have developed information from confidential informants and other credible sources indicating that Latifa Dehko is involved in handling and distributing money for the criminal enterprise.  

Numerous acts of insurance fraud by the Dehko-operated body shops were documented by the special investigative units, special agents from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and Detectives from the Michigan State Police Major Crimes Unit.  From September 2002 to the present, it is alleged that the Dehko crime ring has caused several millions of dollars in insurance fraud by implementing carefully planned and executed fraud schemes.   

The Michigan Attorney General's Auto Theft Unit is funded by grants from the Michigan Auto Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).