Driver in Viral Insurance Fraud Attempt Catches List of Charges

The “clown car of idiots” is back in the news, and one is behind bars. Thanks to the now uber-viral video, the driver of the failed insurance scam was taken into custody this week and booked on multiple charges. I guess that’s what happens when literally means of people see you execute a detailed yet flawed ruse.

A quick recap: On Oct. 16, Ashpia Natasha was driving along the Belt Parkway in the New York City borough of Queens when a Honda Civic cut her off and performed a brake check. Natasha avoided the collision only to witness the silver two-door purposely reverse into her Acura.

Following some in-car musical chairs behind a tarp covering the rear window (one of many red flags), the alleged driver departed the scene in a get-away Kia Sportage. The remaining Civic passengers stayed back to mime head injuries while taking photos of the damaged vehicles. Little did they know that the entire incident was captured on Natasha’s dashcams front and rear.

The fleeing driver turns out to be a 28-year-old from Brooklyn. According to PIX11, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced the man’s arrest. He was apprehended on Thursday upon returning to New York on a flight from Ecuador. The suspect told authorities that the woman who exited the Civic’s driver-side door was his wife.

Additional charges for the others involved are unknown at this time. The other two Honda occupants remain unidentified. The NYPD has also not released information regarding the Kia or its driver. However, the Civic was located in Queens and seized by police on October 24.

The Honda driver has been charged with staging a motor vehicle accident, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, and insurance fraud. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.