Two Brooklyn men have been arraigned in Queens for allegedly staging car crashes on New York City highways and filing false insurance claims, authorities said.
Jaime Huiracocha, 53, and Victor Murillo, 34, were charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy, reckless endangerment and other crimes, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said on Wednesday. They each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors said Huiracocha recruited participants by promising cash payouts, while Murillo drove the vehicles involved in the crashes. The scheme unraveled after a victim turned over dashcam footage of an October 2024 collision on the Belt Parkway, authorities said.
According to investigators, the pair staged two other crashes last fall, including one on the Nassau Expressway that involved a tractor-trailer and another on the Belt Parkway in which Murillo allegedly switched seats with a passenger under the cover of a tarp.
“The prevalence of staged auto crimes has outraged New Yorkers,” Katz said in a statement. “We are grateful that the initial victim came forward with shocking dashcam video of one of these collisions.”
Attorneys for both men did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huiracocha and Murillo are due back in court in September.
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