Last week, federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York announced that a former NYPD traffic safety officer and an owner and operator of an accident victim call center both pled guilty to participating in a bribery scheme that “exploited people involved in car crashes.”

Gothamist reported on the guilty plea: 

A former NYPD traffic safety officer and the owner of a call center that targeted accident victims both pleaded guilty this week in a bribery scheme that federal officials said exploited people involved in car crashes, according to prosecutors.

Suzette Trimmingham, 54, admitted to sharing the identities and contact information of crash victims with Mervin Rhymes, 61, in exchange for cash and other valuables, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. Rhymes, who operated the call center, then referred the victims to doctors and lawyers, profiting from those referrals, authorities said.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton: “Their pleas highlight this office’s commitment to pursuing those, including members of law enforcement, who seek to profit by abusing their positions of public trust.”

The scheme ran from January 2020 through June 2024 and netted the pair nearly $900,000, according to court records.

Fraud like this is a clear indication of the various schemes in play within a system that preys on consumers. Widespread fraud is not an isolated incident: lawsuit abuse is commonplace in states like New York, California, and Nevada. Fraud in the system drains necessary medical resources for those with serious accidents, can further hurt victims, and results in higher prices for all consumers. This case is yet another glaring example of the need to reform America’s broken legal system. It’s time to protect consumers.