Man charged in Belt Parkway insurance scam caught on viral dash cam video
NEW YORK -- A Brooklyn man is facing charges in an insurance scam that was caught on video on the Belt Parkway.
CBS News New York previously spoke with the victim, whose dashboard camera recorded the encounter. Now, the Queens District Attorney's Office says charges have been filed.
Maikel Martinez was arraigned Thursday on charges of staging a motor vehicle accident, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, conspiracy and insurance fraud.
"The defendant and others allegedly staged a crash on a busy highway and rammed an unsuspecting driver with their vehicle after they forcibly stopped her in the left lane of the Belt Parkway. Countless lives were jeopardized due to this incredibly reckless conduct," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
The district attorney said Martinez was a passenger in the car, and he was taken into custody after returning from Ecuador. If convicted, the 28-year-old from Dyker Heights faces up to seven years in prison.
Dash cam video shows insurance scam in action
Ashpia Natasha told CBS News New York her morning drive turned into a terrifying ordeal when a silver car in front of her abruptly stopped and backed up into her SUV on the Belt Parkway.
"My initial thoughts were that I was caught in some kind of road rage," Natasha said.
After the crash, her rear camera showed a red Kia pulling up in front of the silver car. As four people exited in the silver car, one slipped into the Kia. Once they exchanged information, Natasha said the group seemed to be in a rush to leave and said they had to pick up their baby.
The charges filed against Martinez stem from Natasha's report, but another driver previously told CBS News New York she believes the same thing happened to her.
"It's traumatic, even though we're all still here to talk about it. It is very taxing," said Alyssa Attanasio. "It is very taxing because you worry about yourself. You worry about, you know, people suing you and everything like that."
The district attorney encouraged anyone who suspects they may have been a victim of a staged crash to call the NYPD's Office of Fraudulent Collision Investigation Squad at 718-822-5403.