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Viral Belt Parkway crash video leads to prison sentences in fraud case
ABC7 Eyewitness News • • nation
Key Points:
- Two men, Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo, pleaded guilty to staging car crashes on New York highways to file fraudulent insurance claims, resulting in prison sentences of one to three years and two years, respectively.
- The scheme involved orchestrating three staged crashes between August and October 2024, recruiting passengers, and using borrowed vehicles to obtain large insurance payouts.
- The investigation began after a viral dashcam video showed a staged collision on the Belt Parkway, which led authorities to uncover two additional staged accidents on the Nassau Expressway.
- Governor Kathy Hochul announced increased state efforts to combat auto insurance fraud, including a new cross-agency task force and a rebuilt insurance fraud bureau.
- District Attorney Melinda Katz warned that prosecutors will continue targeting individuals involved in similar fraudulent schemes, including medical providers and attorneys who facilitate such claims.
