Eric Benjamin “Ben” Halem, 37, of Porter Ranch, a former full-time Los Angeles Police Department officer and current LAPD reserve officer, and his brother, Jacob Halem, 32, of Tarzana, were arraigned in May 2025 on felony insurance fraud charges following an investigation by the California Department of Insurance. The investigation found the brothers allegedly filed a fraudulent auto insurance claim in an attempt to obtain benefits they were not entitled to receive.
The Department of Insurance began its investigation after receiving a fraud referral alleging Eric Halem falsely reported a crash involving his 2020 Bentley Continental GT, stating his brother Jacob Halem had borrowed the vehicle and was involved in a solo-collision on January 5, 2023. However, the investigation revealed that the luxury vehicle had actually been rented out through Eric Halem’s exotic car rental company, Drive LA, and crashed by the renter three days earlier.
Upon learning that the rental driver’s claim had been denied, Eric Halem allegedly filed a fraudulent claim with his insurance company on his personal policy, misrepresenting the accident details. He claimed that his brother, Jacob Halem, had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.
On August 11, 2025 the Los Angeles District Attorney announced that felony charges have been filed against Halem and three other men in connection with a violent home invasion and kidnapping for ransom in Koreatown last December.
Also charged in the case are Luis Banuelos (dob 5/25/97) of Jurupa Valley in Riverside County, Pierre Louis (dob 12/8/98) of Attleboro, Mass. and Mishael Mann (dob 7/31/05) of Los Angeles. Each defendant faces counts of kidnapping for ransom, first-degree residential robbery, and home invasion robbery in concert. Mann and Halem are being held on no bail, and Louis and Banuelos are each being held on $1.3 million bail.
On Dec. 28, 2024, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Halem and Mann allegedly entered an apartment in Koreatown, where they handcuffed two victims, transferred money from the victims’ cryptocurrency account, and stole cash and jewelry before fleeing. Banuelos and Louis are accused of serving as getaway drivers who waited outside the location.