Jan. 28, 2022—Twenty-three people are accused in a scheme to commit insurance fraud in at least four states and Canada by staging automobile accidents, NBC News reported.
The group of people allegedly faked at least 14 accidents between July 2017 and September 2020. A total of 138 charges were filed in the case, including charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
Accidents were allegedly preplanned, the report said, many of which were with “two vehicles on remote roads and at night where there were no witnesses other than the co-conspirators who staged the accidents.” The report alleges defendants used hammers to damage the vehicles.
“On at least one occasion, the Defendants placed weighted materials on an unoccupied front passenger seat to cause airbag deployment, and tampered with the front passenger seat dashboard panel as part of the staging,” the indictment said.
Nearly $1 million in insurance money was collected from multiple insurers, according to the report.
