Huiracocha pleaded guilty in May to insurance fraud in the third degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Jerry Iannece sentenced him to one to three years in prison on the first charge and one year in jail on the second charge, to run concurrently.
Murillo pleaded guilty to staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree, insurance fraud in the fourth degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Justice Iannece sentenced him to two years in prison on the first two charges and one year of incarceration on the third charge to be served concurrently.
According to investigators, between August 24, 2024, and October 16, 2024, Huiracocha and Murillo conspired to stage car crashes on New York City highways as part of an insurance fraud scheme. The defendants recruited individuals to participate in three separate car crashes and enticed them with promises of cash payouts of thousands of dollars.
Murillo acted as the designated driver for these crashes. During each of the staged collisions, the defendant suddenly and deliberately stepped on the brakes of the car he was driving, causing the vehicle behind him to rear end the car he was operating. In one instance, when the car behind him braked in time to avoid a collision, Murillo reversed into that vehicle and caused a crash.
During the staged crashes, Huiracocha drove in a separate vehicle and trailed Murillo on the highway and directed him on exactly when and how to stage the collisions. After the crashes, Murillo climbed into the front passenger seat of each vehicle and exited the car from the passenger side. His actions were obscured by passengers in the back seat who covered the rear window with a tarp or plastic bag.
Murillo then fled the scene each time in a getaway car that had pulled in front of the car he drove. In the three collisions, the remaining occupants of Murillo’s car exited the vehicle and pretended to be injured. The occupants were directed by Huiracocha to visit specific medical clinics after the crashes.