A reckless motorist who intentionally slammed his car into another vehicle in Brooklyn so he could file an insurance claim was foiled when dashcam footage from the victim’s car exposed his fraud — one of several insurance fraud cases uncovered in a New York State Police and the state Department of Financial Services investigation, Gov. Hochul’s office said Tuesday.
Since COVID, the number of staged car accidents with the intent to commit insurance fraud has skyrocketed, with nearly 44,000 suspected cases reported by insurance companies to DFS in 2025, an 80% increase since 2020, officials said.
As a result of the joint investigation, 16 people have been arrested across the state for staging accidents and filing false claims totaling more than half a million dollars. The majority of the fraud arrests occurred in New York City, where seven people were arrested in the Bronx, two in Brooklyn, one in Queens and one in Staten Island.
Last December, DuSean Barnett, 28, was driving with two passengers in Brooklyn when he claimed another motorist ran a stop sign and crashed into his car. He eventually collected more than $16,000 in medical fees, according to investigators. But dashcam footage from the other vehicle shows the victim coming to a full stop before Barnett’s vehicle appears to swerve directly into the car, smashing into it.
Barnett was arrested and charged with staging a motor vehicle accident and insurance fraud, among other crimes.
Last December, DuSean Barnett was driving with two passengers in Brooklyn when he claimed a car ran a stop sign and crashed into his car, eventually collecting more than $16,000 in medical fees, according to investigators. But dashcam footage from the victim’s car shows her coming to a full stop before Barnett’s vehicle appears to swerve directly into the car, smashing into it. (Office of the Governor)
In another recent case highlighted in a report released by Gov. Hochul’s office, Nelson Colon Hernandez, 39, and Maria Colon, 45, staged an accident in the Bronx and filed a claim for $71,000 in medical costs to their victim’s insurance company. The insurance company ultimately denied their claim, and they were charged with insurance fraud and attempted grand larceny.
In addition to being dangerous, staged accidents drive up insurance costs for consumers, Hochul said.
“Auto insurance fraud is not a victimless crime — every staged crash, fraudulent claim and criminal scheme ultimately drives up costs for New Yorkers who play by the rules,” the governor said in a statement.
Last December, DuSean Barnett was driving with two passengers in Brooklyn when he claimed a car ran a stop sign and crashed into his car, eventually collecting more than $16,000 in medical fees, according to investigators. But dashcam footage from the victim’s car shows her coming to a full stop before Barnett’s vehicle appears to swerve directly into the car, smashing into it. (Office of the Governor)
Hochul has pledged to cut auto insurance costs by enacting changes aimed at combatting fraud and abuse as a cornerstone of her affordability agenda.
But the changes, which are largely supported by insurance companies, have been criticized for potentially making it harder for people injured in an accident to seek damages. There’s also no clear-cut guarantee that insurance companies will pass the expected savings these changes will create onto consumers, critics allege.