It’s always fun until somebody gets busted for alleged insurance fraud. A crew of friends staged a car accident during the summer in NYC, and then attempted to collect on insurance payments. Authorities said some Bronx residents were responsible in a report picked up by a New York Criminal Lawyer. Officials got to the bottom of the caper by viewing surveillance video recorded above the crash site.
Investigators noticed the slow motion appearances the crash had. It didn’t add up for them so they became suspicious and probed further in their investigation. There was even an attempt by one of the drivers involved where they repeated a move to make it look more convincing. All of this was in the recording.
Police told a Bronx Criminal Lawyer that the participants made their cars collide at the scene. Moments later, they reappeared at the same location, following a brief spin around the block. Once they had returned the drivers pretended to back into each other, which caused further damages. The drivers called 911 and filled out false police reports. They even alleged injuries and sought medical treatment at a local Bronx medical facility. The medical facility billed over $30,000 in medical costs in less than a half days’ time.
Damages to vehicles were light and didn’t approach the level of “totaled” one might suspect from so many cars being involved in close quarters. Police became suspicious that all of the vehicle occupants, passengers and drivers, all knew one another. The suspects were all in their 20s to mid-thirties and primarily males. Reviewing the surveillance tapes led the investigators to checking further into the situation.
No information was available at the time the report was being made regarding the formal charges being brought against the suspects. It was not clear whether the suspects were being held pending bail. No information was made available by investigators about the backgrounds of the suspects. It is uncertain whether all passengers were aware of the intentions for staging the accident or were unsuspecting of the plot.
Insurance fraud is a crime that comes under the classification of a white collar crime. This offense can involve bribery, bank fraud, mail fraud and identity theft. If you have been charged with a white collar crime, it is important to seek legal assistance right away. The penalties you could be facing are serious.
Criminal charges are serious business. You shouldn’t gamble on public defense attorneys or sympathies of a judge. Get the help you deserve from Stephen Bilkis and Associates. The assistance of quality legal counsel can make the difference between maximum jail time and more lenient outcomes.