SAN DIEGO -- Eleven people were charged in San Diego Thusday with playing roles in a staged automobile collision ring in which money was fraudulently collected from insurance carriers.

The arrests of the defendants culminated a yearlong investigation by California Department of Insurance detectives.

"Criminals that engage in staged auto collisions seek monetary gain while risking not only their lives but also the innocent lives of other drivers on the road," said CDI Commissioner Steve Poizner.

"Through the diligent work of our fraud detectives and a tireless effort by this department and our partners, we have broken a crime ring that has caused more than $200,000 in damages," he said.

Poizner said more than 83 felony charges of insurance fraud were collectively filed against the defendants, one of whom is a juvenile.

The alleged ring leader of the staged collision ring, 31-year-old Jay Stoney Anderson of Chula Vista, is charged with 28 counts and could face up to 11 years in prison if convicted of involvement in at least seven staged collisions, authorities said.

Most of the defendants are scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the downtown courthouse, said Deputy District Attorney Victor Ou.

In each collision, the vehicle that caused the collision, commonly referred to as the "hammer" vehicle, was abandoned at the scene prior to the arrival of police, according to CDI officials.

Follow-up investigation revealed that the "hammer" vehicles had either been abandoned by their registered owners or reported as stolen prior to the collision.

For each crash, the passengers in the other involved vehicle, referred to as the "nail" vehicle, claimed soft-tissue injuries and sought treatment at a local hospital, according to CDI officials. Those passengers later filed personal injury claims with the insurer.

When the insurance company settled the claims, the payment checks were sent directly to the "injured" passengers who left outstanding hospital bills, investigators said.

In one particular staged collision, the backpack of an occupant of the "nail" vehicle was found by police in the "hammer" vehicle of the same collision, which had been abandoned at the scene, according to the CDI.

Numerous connections between the owners of the "hammer" vehicle to the occupants of the "nail" vehicles were found throughout the investigation. The investigation also allegedly revealed numerous connections between participants of each collision and Anderson.

To date, seven insurance carriers have paid out more than $200,000 to suspects involved in the 11 staged collisions, Poizner said.

Besides Anderson, charges were brought against Patrick Deleon; Dajuan Dunn; John Jordan; Mary Lett; Roger Poole; Malcolm H.; Deborah Matthews; Tyrone Ledet; Arthur Zieglar; and Sharon Harville.