Two men convicted in New York for orchestrating intentional crashes to commit insurance fraud
New York justice has sentenced two Brooklyn residents, identified as 53-year-old Jaime Huiracocha and 34-year-old Víctor Murillo, after their direct participation in a dangerous insurance fraud scheme was proven. The individuals deliberately caused traffic collisions on highly congested highways in order to make fraudulent financial claims.
According to the Alofoke Deportes report, the convicted individuals were involved in at least three incidents recorded between August and October 2024. The modus operandi consisted of selecting other people’s vehicles to cause rear-end collisions, after which those involved would fake physical injuries to obtain financial benefits from insurance companies.
This is how the fraud network operated
Investigations revealed that Huiracocha acted as the organizer of the scheme, recruiting individuals and vehicle owners in exchange for money. For his part, Murillo executed the driving maneuver, positioning himself in front of other drivers to brake suddenly and force a collision. On occasion, the coordination was carried out in real time with other vehicles that supervised the operation.
These types of maneuvers not only generate millionaire losses for insurance companies, but also put in imminent danger the lives of innocent citizens who travel on public roads without suspecting that they are the target of a criminal scam.
Queens District Attorney’s Office
Key evidence and rulings
One of the most compelling events occurred on October 16, 2024, on the Belt Parkway. On this occasion, a dashcam installed in the victim’s vehicle captured the moment when Murillo, after failing to get the driver to hit him initially, reversed his car to intentionally collide with her. This evidence was decisive for the case.
- Jaime Huiracocha: Sentenced to a prison term of between one and three years.
- Víctor Murillo: Sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to charges of conspiracy, fraud, and staging accidents.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz highlighted that these practices end up affecting the pockets of all drivers, as the increase in fraudulent claims leads to a generalized rise in insurance premiums. Authorities confirmed that other individuals involved, such as Maikel Martinez and Ivon Matus-Martinez, have also admitted their guilt and are awaiting their respective sentences.
This case serves as a warning about the risks on New York roads, where the collaboration between local police, the district attorney’s office, and financial services departments has managed to dismantle a network that used traffic chaos as a tool for crime.
