Virginia Woman Sentenced for Staging Auto Crashes

A Norfolk, Virginia woman will spend seven years in prison for staging auto accidents to collect insurance money.

Teresa R. Gallop was sentenced in federal court Monday.

The 41-year-old had 60 prior felony convictions, including one for manslaughter.

Gallop was convicted earlier this year of staging three car crashes, using children as young as 4 pretending to be victims. Gallop collected about $50,000 in insurance payments.

Prosecutors said Gallop directed her teenage son and his friend to deliberately collide their vehicles, then she and several minor children would climb into one of the vehicles and claim to have suffered injuries during the crash. They say she also altered medical bills before submitting them to insurance companies.