Three men face charges for staged Belt Parkway collision

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On October 16, 2024, a driver named Asphia Natasha was traveling on the Belt Parkway in Queens, New York, when she became the target of a staged insurance fraud scheme. Her dashcam recorded a silver Honda Civic cutting her off and slamming on its brakes before reversing into her vehicle. The footage, which was widely discussed online, showed occupants of the Honda appearing to switch seats and obscure the rear window. Following the incident, authorities launched a comprehensive investigation involving the NYPD, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, and the New York State Department of Financial Services. The footage proved instrumental in linking the crash to a larger, coordinated operation. In November 2024, Maikel Martinez was taken into custody upon his arrival at JFK Airport and charged with multiple offenses, including insurance fraud and reckless endangerment. By July 2025, prosecutors had charged two additional men, Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo, for their alleged roles in orchestrating the scheme. Officials have identified this incident as a prominent example of "swoop and squat" tactics, which have become a focus of recent law enforcement crackdowns in New York.