October 02, 2017 - 11:43 AM
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - A Haitian man who federal prosecutors say was the ringleader of an auto insurance scam involving as many as 50 staged car crashes in southeastern Connecticut has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Mackenzy Noze was sentenced Monday in federal court in New Haven. A jury convicted him of nine fraud charges in June.
Officials say Noze is a lawful permanent U.S. resident who had been living in Norwich and will face immigration proceedings after serving his prison time.
Authorities say the 33-year-old Noze and a handful of other people staged the crashes in several towns between 2011 and 2014. After each accident, they fraudulently collected $6,500 to $30,000 in insurance payouts.
Noze's lawyer did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Six other people involved in the scam were convicted.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017