NEW YORK, NY — Two Brooklyn men were sent to prison after pleading guilty to a string of staged crashes tied to an insurance fraud operation on New York City highways. Prosecutors said the scheme ran from August 2024 through October 2024 and involved vehicles intentionally colliding with tractor-trailers so participants could seek money for claimed injuries and damages.
Jaime Huiracocha, 53, and Victor Murillo, 34, were accused of coordinating at least three crashes and recruiting others to join in. In one case on Oct. 3, 2024, the operation allegedly targeted a 44-year-old truck driver from New Jersey on the Nassau Expressway.
How prosecutors say the crashes were staged
According to a criminal investigation and court records, Huiracocha and Murillo worked together to set up the wrecks and then direct the aftermath. Prosecutors said Huiracocha drove a separate vehicle and followed Murillo, while others in the back seat blocked the window as the crash unfolded.
After the collisions, Murillo would leave through the passenger side and get into a getaway car, while the passengers who stayed behind claimed they were hurt. Authorities said Huiracocha then sent those people to specific medical clinics, a step investigators viewed as part of the fraud pattern.
The setup, prosecutors said, was designed to create injury claims and insurance payouts from accidents that were not random at all. Instead, the crashes were planned in advance and carried out to make the incidents appear genuine to drivers, police and insurers.
Prison terms handed down after guilty pleas
Huiracocha pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and conspiracy. He was sentenced to one to three years in prison on the fraud count and one year in jail for conspiracy, with the terms running concurrently.
Murillo pleaded guilty to staging a motor vehicle accident, insurance fraud and conspiracy. He received a two-year prison sentence on the staging and insurance fraud charges, along with one year of incarceration for conspiracy, also to be served concurrently.
The sentences reflect the criminal cases brought after the investigation into the crashes. Officials said the men sought to profit from a scheme that relied on false injury claims and coordinated wrecks with commercial vehicles.
Officials say the fraud endangered drivers and raised costs
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said staged auto collisions do not just create false claims. She said they frighten the drivers who are targeted, put other motorists at risk and drive up insurance costs for people across New York.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the men cared only about the money they expected to make from a dangerous and illegal fraud scheme. She said the crashes put countless drivers in serious danger and exploited insurance coverage meant to protect people when they truly need it.
The case adds to concerns about organized crash fraud on busy roads, where commercial drivers can face sudden and costly accusations after a collision that was intentionally set up.
Truck groups back a federal crackdown on staged wrecks
The sentencing came as lawmakers consider a federal response to the same kind of scheme. A recently introduced Senate bill would make staged crashes involving commercial motor vehicles a federal crime, building on a House version introduced in May 2025.
The proposal, called the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act, would target cases in which vehicles deliberately wreck with tractor-trailers in an attempt to collect damages. Several trucking organizations, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, are supporting the effort.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh called the schemes calculated and premeditated assaults that threaten lives, harm livelihoods and weaken highway safety. He also said false accusations and lawsuits tied to the fraud contribute to higher insurance premiums for small trucking businesses.
Two other defendants have already pleaded guilty
Prosecutors said Huiracocha and Murillo were not the only people tied to the operation. Defendants Maikel Martinez and Ivon Matus-Martinez, who were identified as participants in the staged crashes, have also pleaded guilty and are waiting to be sentenced.
The case shows how the fraud was built around more than one driver and more than one staged collision. Investigators said the arrangement depended on multiple people playing different roles, from the lead vehicles to the passengers who stayed behind and claimed injuries after each crash.
That broader cast of defendants suggests the scheme was organized rather than spontaneous. Prosecutors said the group attempted to turn collisions on New York City highways into a repeatable source of insurance money.
