Six people involved in a North Carolina auto insurance fraud ring that spanned four years and led to more than $100,000 in phony insurance payments from staged accidents has ended.

The group’s ringleader, Rayon Lamont Artis, 32, of Greenville, N.C., pleaded guilty to multiple counts of obtaining property by false pretense, attempting to obtain property by false pretense, conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense, according to the North Carolina Department of Insurance. He was sentenced to 32 months to 36 months in prison and four years of probation.

Five other defendants also pleaded guilty to related charges and received jail sentences, probation or orders to pay restitution, according to North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin.

Two other defendants have been charged in the investigation.

According to the investigation, the defendants posed as drivers and passengers in salvage cars often bought out of state by Artis. The defendants submitted phony medical and vehicle damage insurance claims. One of those companies to which claims were submitted, GMAC Insurance, identified unusual activity and tipped off department investigators to the fraud ring, leading to the investigation and resulting charges.