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U.S. District Court Judge Amul Thapar sentenced three men for agreeing to stage a wreck in Prestonsburg so they could collect thousands of dollars from insurance companies.

Thapar sentenced Junior Little, 68, to 45 months plus three years supervised release; Dannie Lee Bentley, 58, to 24 years plus three years supervised release; and James Clarence Hall, 39, to 21 months plus three years supervised release.

In 2006, the defendants staged a wreck and then used U.S. Mail to file false claims regarding the nature of the collision, injuries and property damage. The defendants collected $80,000 from two different insurance companies, according to court documents.

Nine defendants were involved in the conspiracy. Two were previously sentenced. Troy Fields and Burnett Little will face sentencing on Aug. 11.

Another co-defendant, Green Berry Newman, died in January of this year.