A man who “took over and corrupted” a Bronx auto body shop stole from insurance companies and ordered the killing of a rival tow truck operator, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alleges that for years, Christian “Coco” Lugo was the ringleader of a criminal enterprise that scammed car owners and used violence to gobble up business for Certified Auto in Mott Haven. The indictment claims he and henchmen would seek out drivers whose cars were wrecked after crashes to steer them to the car repair shop. The practice, known as “chasing,” is illegal but commonplace in the cutthroat world of New York City auto repair.
Lugo, 37, made false statements to insurance companies about “the extent of the damage and amount of labor and parts needed to repair” cars he and his crew worked on, the indictment states…