QUEENS, NEW YORK — Two Brooklyn men have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating three staged car crashes on New York City highways between August and October 2024, collecting insurance payouts for fake injuries and property damage — including a crash deliberately caused in front of a New Jersey tractor-trailer driver who had no way to stop in time.
Jaime Huiracocha, 53, was sentenced to one to three years in prison after pleading guilty to insurance fraud in the third degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Victor Murillo, 34, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree, insurance fraud in the fourth degree, and conspiracy in the fifth degree.
How the Scheme Worked
Huiracocha drove a separate vehicle and followed Murillo on the highway during each staged crash, staying in constant contact and directing exactly when and how to cause the collisions. Murillo drove the vehicle that caused each crash, then switched to the front passenger seat so he could exit from the passenger side — his movement hidden by passengers in the back seat who covered the rear window with a tarp or plastic bag. A getaway car would pull in front, Murillo would slip in, and he would flee. The remaining occupants of his car then pretended to be injured and were directed by Huiracocha to visit specific medical clinics.
The Truck Driver Crash
At noon on October 3, 2024, a 44-year-old New Jersey truck driver was operating his tractor-trailer in the middle lane of the Nassau Expressway near Cross Bay Boulevard in Lindenwood when Murillo, driving a Nissan Xterra, suddenly cut directly into the middle lane in front of the truck. The driver had no time to stop and hit the Nissan. Murillo immediately got out, slipped into a waiting getaway vehicle, and fled. A woman then approached the truck driver and falsely claimed she had been the one driving the Nissan. Huiracocha later exited another car at the scene and spoke with the truck driver.
The Other Two Crashes
On August 24, 2024, on the Belt Parkway near the Erskine Street exit, Murillo merged in front of a 47-year-old Long Island woman and stopped, forcing her to rear-end his Honda Civic. Her dashcam captured Murillo exiting and getting into a red Kia waiting in front.
On October 16, 2024, on the Belt Parkway in Rosedale, Murillo cut in front of a 31-year-old Queens woman and stopped. When she braked in time to avoid hitting him, he reversed and backed into her vehicle. Dashcam footage showed the staged collision and a red Kia Sportage that had been following her car before the crash. Murillo again slipped out through the passenger side and fled in the Kia.
Two additional defendants, Maikel Martinez and Ivon Matus-Martinez, also pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
“Staged auto collisions not only terrify the drivers who are targeted, they put other motorists at risk and ultimately lead to increased insurance costs for all New Yorkers,” said Queens DA Melinda Katz. “Thanks to a brave victim who came forward with dashcam video, we secured convictions against two defendants who orchestrated three crashes.”
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