Florence County duo staged U-Haul crash as part of insurance scam, lawsuit claims

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — U-Haul is suing a Florence County duo with a history of fraudulent insurance claims, saying they hoped to crash one of their vehicles for a large payout.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Florence County Common Pleas Court, names Michael Brent Henneghan, Aszane Tatiana Cruz, Adrienne Chavis, and three minors on claims including breach of contract and good faith.

News13 attempted to contact Henneghan through two phone numbers listed on the contract. One was disconnected and a voicemail box was full on the other.

According to the suit, Henneghan rented a U-Haul van at 6:45 p.m. on April 16 and a short time later, rear-ended a 2015 Camaro driven by Cruz at the intersection of South Church and East Palmetto streets.

Henneghan returned the van off at 10:15 p.m., with surveillance footage from the rental center showing the Camaro dropping him off.

The van carried insurance limits of $25,000 for property damage and bodily injury, up to $50,000 maximum.

U-Haul’s attorneys in the lawsuit said the company’s “nationwide presence, affordable rental rates, and affordable insurance options have made it a target for accident staging and insurance fraud.”

Here’s how it happens:

• A driver gains access to a vehicle with no ownership or accident history tied to it
• The vehicle is driven to a predetermined location where other co-conspirators are waiting
• The rental truck is intentionally driven into a target vehicle
• The target vehicle’s occupants report the collision to Repwest, U-Haul’s third-party claims handler
• The target vehicle owner filed a property damage claim while asserting they were also injured

“Frequently, the lessee fails to report the collision, does not respond to communication attempts, and does not cooperate with the investigation,” the lawsuit claims. That’s exactly what happened in Cruz’s case, details in the complaint say.

Henneghan reportedly told a Florence police officer that he rented the van to transport furniture and appliances to a Coward address. En route, his phone rang — distracting him and leading to the accident.

Henneghan later told a private investigator retained by U-Haul that he couldn’t explain the Camaro’s presence at the rental lot, and also denied needing the van to move furniture.

On June 10, U-Haul received an anonymous tip that Henneghan and Cruz were in a relationship and “attempting to commit fraud.” Investigators discovered both were involved in eight claims processed through the National Insurance Crime Bureau for suspected fraudulent activity.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.