Undocumented Duo Accused of Staging Car Crashes, Collecting $370K in Fraudulent Payouts

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — Two undocumented immigrants have been arrested for allegedly staging multiple car crashes in Florida and filing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent insurance claims.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced the arrests on Thursday, calling it a major case of staged collision insurance fraud.

“Illegal immigration puts law-abiding Floridians at far too high a risk. The two illegal aliens arrested in this case endangered the lives of innocent drivers, which we’ve seen far too often recently,” said Ingoglia. “I’m proud of our office’s work to bring these criminals to justice and appreciate the Trump Administration’s support in addressing the illegal immigration crisis that has plagued our nation.”

According to Ingoglia, video evidence captured the suspects, Samil Morales Pena and Glenys Pena Perez, staging three separate car crashes before pulling over and exiting their vehicle.

Investigators say the pair filed fraudulent insurance claims totaling $371,176 for medical bills, vehicle repairs, and injury compensation related to the staged accidents.

Both suspects were taken into custody and booked into a Florida corrections facility, according to the news release.

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