ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pledge to crack down on auto insurance fraud during this year’s legislative session has resulted in a shift of law enforcement priorities in New York that her administration said is beginning to result in arrests.
On Tuesday, Hochul announced that a task force consisting of members of the State Police and the state Department of Financial Services had arrested 16 individuals across New York as a result of investigations into auto insurance fraud allegations. The joint investigation also uncovered $500,000 in attempted fraudulent claims, according to the governor’s office.
“Every staged crash, fraudulent claim and criminal scheme ultimately drives up costs for New Yorkers who play by the rules,” Hochul said in a news release Tuesday. “We’re cracking down on fraudsters and making it clear that New York will not tolerate criminals gaming the system at the expense of hardworking families.”…