Man charged with Belt Parkway insurance fraud caught on viral dashcam video

NEW YORK – A Brooklyn man is charged in a lawsuit Insurance fraud 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 announced that charges have been filed.

Maikel Martinez was charged Thursday with orchestrating a motor vehicle accident, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, conspiracy and insurance fraud.

“The defendant and others allegedly staged an accident on a busy highway and struck an unsuspecting driver with their vehicle after forcibly stopping her in the left lane of the Belt Parkway. This incredibly reckless behavior put countless lives at risk,” 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.

Dashcam video shows insurance fraud in action

Ashpia Natasha said CBS News New York Her morning drive turned into a horrific ordeal when a silver car in front of her abruptly stopped and backed into her SUV on the Belt Parkway.

“My first thoughts were that I was involved in some sort of road rage incident,” Natasha said.

After the accident, her rear camera showed a red Kia stopping in front of the silver car. As four people exited the silver car, one got into the Kia. After exchanging information, Natasha said the group seemed to be in a hurry to leave and they needed to pick up their baby.

The charges against Martinez stem from Natasha's report, but another driver previously told CBS News New York she believed the same thing happened to her.

“It's traumatic, even though we're all still here to talk about it. It’s very tiring,” Alyssa Attanasio said. “It's very stressful because you're worried about yourself. You worry about people suing you and everything like that.”

The district attorney urged anyone who suspects they may have been the victim of a staged accident to contact the NYPD's Fraud Investigations Bureau at 718-822-5403.