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One of the vehicle collisions was allegedly staged at South Conduit Avenue and Nassau Expressway.
By Forum Staff
Four individuals have been variously charged with crimes, grand larceny and insurance fraud, for allegedly conspiring to stage motor vehicle collisions to generate fraudulent billings for unnecessary medical treatment. In at least one instance, coaching an undercover officer who was being paid for his participation in the fraud scheme to exaggerate his nonexistent injuries.
The insurance companies were allegedly bilked out of more than $88,000 in total. The investigation leading to the charges began in February 2015 and utilized both court-authorized wiretaps and surveillance, as well as undercover detective work.
The defendants are identified as Todd Henderson, 50, of Jamaica, Queens; his stepbrother, DaJuan Henderson, 30, of St. Albans, Queens; Joseph Louis, 32, of Springfield Gardens, Queens; and Yusuf Carter, 30, of Brooklyn.
The four defendants were arraigned last week before Queens Criminal Court Judge Bruna Dibiase on criminal complaints in which they are variously charged with second- and third degree grand larceny, second- and third-degree insurance fraud, first-degree falsifying business records, fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy and third-degree falsely reporting an incident.
Bail was set at $5,000 bond/$2,500 cash for each defendant and their next court date is scheduled for December 20, 2016.
Under New York’s no-fault insurance law a person injured in a motor vehicle collision can receive up to $50,000 to pay medical expenses and lost earnings incurred as a result of the accident. According to the charges, DaJuan Henderson, Joseph Louis and other unapprehended individuals conspired between July 14, 2015, and September 12, 2016, to stage a motor vehicle collision and to engage in a no-fault insurance fraud scheme which resulted in billing no-fault insurance for fake and exaggerated injuries sustained as a result of the staged collision. As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that Henderson and Joseph referred the unapprehended individuals to medical clinics for treatment with the promise of payment for participation in the no-fault insurance fraud scheme. A New York City Police Department Motor Vehicle Accident Report allegedly indicated that a motor vehicle collision occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. on December 19, 2015, at the intersection of Glenmore Avenue and 79th Street in Queens involving DaJuan Henderson and another vehicle containing three unapprehended individuals. According to insurance records, from December 28, 2015, through September 26, 2016, a total of $171,860.12 was billed from various medical facilities for medical treatment to Henderson and the three unapprehended individuals and that a total of $34,034.77 was paid by the insurance company through no-fault insurance coverage. In addition, DaJuan Henderson and Todd Henderson similarly conspired to engage in an insurance fraud scheme in which they staged a car collision with a rental truck that DaJuan Henderson rented.
A New York City Police Department Motor Vehicle Accident Report indicated that a motor vehicle collision occurred at approximately 7:00 p.m. on June 17, 2015, at the South Conduit and Nassau Expressway in Queens involving a Ford vehicle containing three individuals and a rental truck driven by another individual and containing DaJuan Henderson as a passenger. According to insurance records, from April 4, 2015, through September 25, 2015, a total in excess of $21,653.04 was billed from various medical facilities for medical treatment for the fabricated injuries to the three individuals in the Ford vehicle and for Henderson and the other individual in the rental truck and that a total of $12,019.66 was paid by insurance companies through no-fault insurance coverage.
District Attorney Brown said that, according to the investigation, it is alleged that Todd Henderson conspired with Yusuf Carter to stage a car collision in order to profit from false insurance claims through no-fault insurance at clinics in Queens and Brooklyn.
On February 22, 2015, according to police records, a vehicle collision occurred in Queens between a Dodge vehicle driven by Yusuf Carter and containing two other individuals and a vehicle that left the scene of the collision. According to insurance records, from February 2015 through December 6, 2016, a total of $45,881.31 was billed from various medical facilities for medical treatment of the fabricated injuries to Carter and the two individuals and that a total of $17,772.34 in insurance funds was paid through Carter’s no-fault insurance coverage. In addition, Carter allegedly received $10,532.87 for purported damage to his Doge vehicle in connection with the collision.
Finally, it is alleged that in furtherance of the conspiracy Todd Henderson agreed to pay an undercover police officer to pretend that he had been hurt in a motor vehicle collision. Henderson allegedly provided the undercover officer with the address of a medical facility in Queens and allegedly told him to tell the desk, “Jimmy Stone had sent you.” It is alleged that Henderson reminded the undercover officer to complain about everything; the neck, the back and everything that – bothering the undercover officer. During two meetings in January and February 2015, Henderson allegedly paid the undercover officer a total of $560 for his participation in the fraud scheme. It is alleged that a total of $9,882.45 was paid out on insurance claims in connection with the fabricated injuries of the undercover officer and another police officer.
