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A staged fender-bender that racked up more than 80 million views online has now closed with real prison time. New York City officials announced the sentencing of two men behind an insurance fraud scheme built around deliberately staged car crashes on local highways — including one collision captured on video that spread across social media like wildfire.

The Sentences Handed Down

Jaime Huiracocha, 53, and 34-year-old Victor Murillo pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and conspiracy charges, with each man now facing at least a year behind bars, according to a Thursday announcement from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

A Governor's Message on Insurance Costs

Speaking at a press conference celebrating the sentencing outcome, Hochul connected the case to broader legal reforms in New York designed to strengthen prosecution of insurance fraud tied to staged accidents, while also tackling the premium increases she says have followed the recent rise in these schemes.

"This kind of reckless, illegal behavior has been driving up auto insurance costs for millions of New Yorkers for far too long," Hochul said in a statement. "By cracking down, we're not just getting dangerous criminals off our roads, we're putting money back into the pockets of everyday drivers."

How the Scheme Unfolded

The sentencing followed a prosecutorial investigation into a string of staged crashes carried out by Huiracocha and Murillo between August and October 2024, according to the announcement. The conspiracy centered on three separate collisions, with Murillo serving as the designated driver — deliberately slamming his brakes to trigger crashes — while Huiracocha trailed behind in a separate vehicle, directing exactly how and when each staged accident should unfold.

The Crash That Went Viral

In one particularly brazen instance, when another driver managed to brake in time to avoid a collision, Murillo simply reversed into that vehicle instead, manufacturing the crash regardless. He was then whisked away from the scene in a separate getaway vehicle, according to prosecutors.

Dashcam footage of that specific incident, posted to TikTok by the driver who was struck, has since amassed more than 80 million views since going up in October 2024 — turning a criminal scheme into an accidental viral sensation.

Recruiting Participants for the Scam

Huiracocha and Murillo didn't operate alone. Prosecutors say the pair recruited additional individuals, offering them thousands of dollars in cash to participate in the staged crashes — including riding along in Murillo's vehicle and pretending to be injured passengers after each collision. Two of those recruited participants, Maikel Martinez and Ivon Matus-Martinez, are expected to be sentenced next month, according to prosecutors.

Breaking Down the Individual Charges

Huiracocha pleaded guilty in May to insurance fraud in the third degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. He received a sentence of one to three years in prison on the fraud charge and one year in jail on the conspiracy charge, with both sentences running concurrently, according to the announcement.

Murillo, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to a broader set of charges: staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree, insurance fraud in the fourth degree, and conspiracy in the fifth degree. He was sentenced to two years in prison on the first two charges and one year of incarceration on the conspiracy charge, all running concurrently.

New Legal Reforms Targeting Staged Crashes

Hochul highlighted several legislative reforms tied to this case, including an expanded definition of a "fraudulent insurance act" under New York's penal law. That expanded definition now covers anyone who "hires, requests, encourages, orchestrates, or invites another individual to stage a motor vehicle accident" — a change Hochul said will let prosecutors go after individuals involved in staged crashes even when they weren't the ones actually driving.

Tighter Oversight of Insurance Rates

Additional reforms aim to strengthen regulatory oversight of insurance pricing more broadly. Starting in November, insurers operating in New York will be barred from implementing an overall average rate increase of up to 5% without first securing regulatory approval, according to a July guidance document from the New York Department of Financial Services. Looking further ahead, after May 2030, all nonbusiness motor vehicle rate filings will require prior regulatory approval before taking effect, the guidance states.

Legal Representation and Case Details

Attorneys for Murillo and Matus-Martinez didn't immediately respond to a Friday request for comment, while an attorney representing Martinez declined to comment. Counsel information for Huiracocha could not be immediately identified as of Friday.

Murillo is represented by Aicha Elola of Brooklyn Defender Services. Matus-Martinez is represented by Thomas Daniel Barra of Barra & Associates PLLC. Martinez is represented by Paul Testaverde Jr. of the Law Offices of Paul Testaverde PLLC.

The Murillo case is filed as CR-025478-25KN in Kings Criminal Court. The Matus-Martinez case is CR-042839-25QN in Queens Criminal Court. The Martinez case is SCI-70849-25/001 in Queens Supreme Criminal Court.