Officials bust massive car insurance fraud ring in N.Y.
At least nine individuals are accused of defrauding insurance companies after a two-year investigation called 'Operation Sledgehammer.'
Nine individuals and five body shops in New York are facing charges in connection with a car insurance fraud ring caught in a takedown dubbed “Operation Sledgehammer.”
A two-year investigation found that ring members, who operated in lower Westchester County and the Bronx, defrauded insurance companies by enhancing motor vehicle damage and falsifying insurance claims.
“Auto insurance theft affects every one of us. Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. When false claims are made, and money is stolen from insurance companies, it forces all of our insurance rates to increase and costs each of us hard-earned money,” said Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. in a statement on Dec. 9th.
According to officials, the “Jawahir Enterprise” group would worsen damage to vehicles at body shops to increase repair costs when the actual costs were lower, allowing the fraudsters to pocket the insurance claim payouts. On some occasions, the group would stage car accidents involving two or more vehicles or use sledgehammers to inflict damage to vehicles to appear as if a collision caused the damage. In other instances, the group would file false insurance claims under different policies when no damage was involved in an attempt to receive money.
Members of the operation included body shop owners and employees; vehicle owners who participated in exchange for a portion of the insurance payout; people who called insurance companies posing as vehicle owners to file false claims; individuals who attracted new members to the ring; as well as people who would launder the fraudulent insurance payouts.
“The National Insurance Crime Bureau would like to applaud the staff of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their continued efforts in addressing insurance fraud in Westchester County,” said Kevin Gallagher, regional director of the Northeast Region of the NICB, in a statement. “The cost of insurance fraud is shared by all consumers, and this investigation sends a strong message to others who may be contemplating engaging in insurance fraud. We look forward to our continued partnership in combatting insurance fraud for all New Yorkers.”
The investigation is ongoing, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s office said it expects more arrests to come.
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