Lufkin man sentenced to federal prison for insurance fraud

LA MARQUE, TX -- An exotic car salvage yard owner in Lufkin has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison after pleading guilty to insurance fraud.

In November 2009, Andy House drove his sports car into the Gulf Bay in the La Marque area and left it running in the water. The vehicle was destroyed after the engine was flooded with saltwater.

In this video from August 2014, Jeanne Moos revisits the story of the Bugatti driven into the marsh along the Gulf Freeway:

Jeanne Moos remembers an iconic case in which a sports car was driven into a marsh along the Gulf Freeway

House purchased the 2006 Bugatti Veyron for $1 million in October 2009, and insured the car for $2.2 million.

In an insurance claim, House said he swerved into the water after reaching for his cell phone. The insurers accepted the claim.

Another motorist later posted a video of the incident on YouTube.

House must pay back the settlement of about $600,000 and will have to serve three years of supervised release.