Eight New Yorkers have been charged in connection with a schemeto defraud multiple insurance companies of millions of dollars bystaging auto accidents.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern Districtof New York, the eight charged with mail fraud and conspiracy tocommit mail fraud would allegedly rent U-Haul vehicles, drive toKings and Nassau counties, and either strike or be struck bycoconspirators driving and occupying other vehicles.

“These defendants played bumper cars with the lives ofunsuspecting New Yorkers, all to enrich themselves throughinsurance fraud,” says Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney for theEastern District of New York, in a statement.

The crew would allegedly respond to various locations to receivetreatment for their supposed injuries. They filed insurance claimsseeking more than $2 million for Travelers, Allstate, GMAC, Geico,Progressive and Republic Western—U-Hail's insurer.

The defendants received more than $1 million for their allegedclaims for injuries and treatments, the attorney's office says.

“Insurance fraud through staged accidents presents a danger notonly to the public health but also exacts a high cost to the publicin the cost of insurance,” Lynch says.

New Yorkers Shaquana Basnight, Allah Brown, Roshon Cooke, ByronDudley, Clifford Hawkins, Shawn McFadden, Daniel Osborne and DanielThompson were indicted May 8.

If convicted each face a maximum of 20 years in prison, a$250,000 fine and forfeiture of the insurance money theyreceived.