Crime & Safety
6 Men Stage 50 Car Accidents to Defraud Insurance Companies: U.S. Attorney
Five of the people arrested are Norwich residents and one is from New London. One of the suspects has not been located.
Six men are charged with allegedly staging car accidents in an effort to defraud car insurance companies. According to Deirdre M. Daly, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging six men with fraud and conspiracy offenses.
The nine-count indictment was returned on May 18, 2016, and was unsealed Monday, May 24. Charged in the indictment are:
- Carlins Calixte, 32, of Norwich
- Frandy Dugue, 39, also known as “Jimmy,” of Norwich
- Jacques Fleurijeune, 26, also known as “Magic,” of New London
- Pierre Jeudy, 56, of Norwich
- Jonas Joseph, 32, also known as “James,” of Norwich
- Mackenzy Noze, also known as “Ken Ken,” 31, of Norwich
As alleged in the indictment, the defendants and others allegedly staged approximately 50 automobile accidents in and around New London County.
"A high percentage of these planned crashes were single-vehicle accidents on remote roads where there were no witnesses other than the occupants of the crashed vehicle," Daly said. "After each staged accident, the defendants filed fraudulent property damage and bodily injury claims with various automobile insurance companies. They then collected payouts on the fraudulent claims from the victim insurance companies. These payouts typically ranged from about $10,000 to about $30,000 per accident."
Fleurijeune, Jeudy and Dugue were arrested on May 20, while Noze and Calixte were arrested on May 23. Noze and Fleurijeune have been detained and Dugue, Calixte and Jeudy were released on bond.
One Suspect Sought by Police
Joseph is being sought by law enforcement. Citizens with knowledge of his whereabouts, or with information that may be helpful to the investigation of this matter, are encouraged to call the FBI at 203-777-6311, or the Norwich Police Department at 860-886-5561.
The indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and multiple counts of mail and/or wire fraud. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The matter is under investigation by the FBI, the Norwich Police Department and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with the assistance of the Mohegan Tribal Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry.
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