New York State Police have arrested 16 people in a statewide auto insurance fraud investigation that included cases in Monroe and Onondaga counties, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. Investigators identified nearly $500,000 in attempted fraudulent claims across more than a dozen cases, according to the governor's announcement.
The investigation, conducted with the state Department of Financial Services, also reached New York City, Suffolk and Erie counties. Hochul said arrests occurred in Rochester and Buffalo.
Hochul said the Bronx had the highest number of arrests. The governor described staged crashes and fraudulent medical claims as targets of the inquiry.
In one Brooklyn case, she said, dashcam footage helped investigators identify a driver arrested and charged with staging a motor vehicle accident. In a Bronx case, two people were charged with insurance fraud and attempted grand larceny after allegedly filing more than $70,000 in false medical bills following a staged crash.
State officials said the cases follow auto insurance reforms enacted earlier this year. Hochul said the state is investigating additional suspected fraud and expects more arrests.
The governor cited an average annual New York auto insurance cost of about $4,000, nearly $1,500 above the national average, in explaining the state's enforcement push.
Hochul also said staged crashes linked to fraud have increased sharply over five years. She cited 1,700 such incidents in New York in 2023, which she said was the second-highest total in the nation.
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