Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021: New Orleans staged-accident fraud scheme nets 29th guilty plea. Last month, another man accused of being a ringleader in the staged crash scheme was found shot to death in an apartment in New Orleans. A total of 33 people have now been indicted in connection with the federal probe into the scheme, including the "ringleader" of the scheme, 48 . Both defendants pleaded guilty in connection with a staged accident on June 8, 2016. The crash involved a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer and a tractor-trailer owned by Southeastern Motor Freight and driven by Michael Smith. Updated: 5:52 PM CDT August 6, 2020. Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022: Seven more charged in New Orleans staged-accident scheme targeting truckers. A federal grand jury has indicted seven more people in the staged vehicle accidents in New Orleans East and Gentilly. United States Attorney Duane A. Evans has recently announced two more guilty pleas and seven new indictments in the widespread staged-accident fraud scheme in New Orleans, bringing the total to 40 . Cornelius Garrison was found dead last Tuesday in his apartment, according to local press reports. Staged Accident Scams: An Introduction. Keating has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire . . NEW ORLEANS — Four days after he was indicted, and months after multiple sources say he began cooperating with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office, a . Charged in the scheme involving accidents allegedly staged in. Five of those charged previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans. National Insurance Crime . The latest three to admit being involved in the staged-accident fraud scheme have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and face sentences of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000. Keishira Richardson, 27, Chandrika Brown, 31, and Aisha Thompson, 44, are among three dozen people convicted so far - out of 47 charged - in what federal prosecutors call . 100 Staged Accidents: More Indictments In New Orleans 18-Wheeler Insurance Fraud Investigation. Damien Labeaud's plea turns up the heat on the one remaining defendant, as well as the attorneys who federal prosecutors say worked with him. 54-year-old Cornelius . READ THE FULL STORY:7 more people indicted in New Orleans staged accident probe . Five of those charged previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans. The guilty pleas continue to pile up in the Louisiana staged accident scheme, with two more reported by the U.S. attorney's office in New Orleans on Thursday. Video of the crash. Ryan Wheaten, 54, is one of 33 defendants charged in the federal investigation. Insurance fraud up again: inflated bills, staged accidents rampant. The Superseding Indictment adds three new defendants, expands the conspiracy, adds two new counts of wire fraud, and charges an entirely new staged accident that occurred on June 12, 2017. The U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans late last week indicted 11 individuals in connection with a scam to create crashes between cars and 18-wheelers and cash in on insurance payments. CHECK OUT WDSU:Get all the New Orleans news you need. Incidents like these are not rare: In New Orleans alone there have been thirty proven staged accident crimes. Another of the 32 defendants charged with conspiring to stage car accidents in New Orleans and scam insurance companies has pleaded guilty in federal court. A tractor-trailer owned and operated by C.R. Total is now 35 guilty pleas out of 47 indictments; still only 1 lawyer indicted. Staged accident questionable claims up. In exchange, the government. The indictments returned by the grand jury last year . NEW ORLEANS, La. Those who pleaded guilty late last month were Gibson residents Lois Russell, 61; Tanya Givens, 43; and . U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of . After the crash, Hickman was picked up from the scene by Damian Labeaud, while . A former New Orleans personal injury attorney was the 23rd individual to plead guilty in a staged-accident fraud scheme targeting motor carriers. (WVUE) - The US Attorney has charged nine more people in what it calls an "expanding federal probe into the staging of auto accidents" in New Orleans. Link copied. Thirty have pleaded guilty, including Wheaten, who copped to mail fraud conpiracy. United States Attorney Duane A. Evans said Ashley . (WVUE) - According to court documents, a grand jury indicted four additional people in the case today. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana . According to today's indictment and previous indictments, there were five (5) "slammers," that is individuals who intentionally caused motor vehicle accidents to defraud . Thursday, August 12, 2010. At least 33 defendants have been charged in the federal probe the staged accidents. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today the indictment of nine additional defendants bringing the total to twenty-eight charged for intentionally staging automobile accidents.. NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Federal prosecutors announced the indictment of seven more New Orleans defendants Monday (Sept. 13), accusing the group of conspiring to stage accidents in the city involving 18-wheelers in order to defraud trucking companies and their insurance providers. Marvel Francois, 51, of Houma figured in two wrecks caused by "slammer" Damien Labeaud, both on May 17, 2017, according to court records filed by the U.S. attorney's office. Cornelius Garrison, 54, of New Orleans, was indicted less than a week before his death. September 17, 2021. The NOPD investigates a homicide after a man was fatally shot in the 1500 block of Foy Street, about four blocks east of City Park in the St. Bernard area of New Orleans, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. Between 2015 and 2017, two ringleaders of a gang in New Orleans allegedly staged at least 100 accidents in a scam that was targeted at defrauding trucking and insurance companies. After the staged accident, Labeaud introduced LARRY WILLIAMS and Isreal to Attorney A. LARRY WILLIAMS and Isreal were treated by doctors and Tuesday, May 11, 2010. The Louisiana staged-accident scheme investigation has scooped up one of the alleged organizers. One of those people was killed four days after being charged. CHECK OUT WDSU:Get all the New Orleans news you need. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans in the Eastern District of Louisiana announced . Tuesday, May 11, 2010. 100 Staged Accidents: More Indictments In New Orleans 18-Wheeler Insurance Fraud Investigation. READ THE FULL STORY:7 more people indicted in New Orleans staged accident probe . But based on the specifics of the . Solomon picked up Labeaud after the staged accident. With the latest New Orleans weather, sports and stories from . Insurance fraud up again: inflated bills, staged accidents rampant. Keishira . The 10-count indictment, returned Feb. 3 in U.S. District Court, names Florence Randle, 70, and Larry Picou, 56, of . An additional defendant, Mario Solomon, recently pleaded guilty to serving as a spotter for Damian Labeaud. The 58-page lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in New Orleans, spells out how Keating allegedly conspired with Labeaud and Solomon in two staged accidents one week apart in June 2017. One of those people was killed four days after being charged. The latest three to admit being involved in the staged-accident fraud scheme have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and face sentences of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000. Jun 9, 2021. NEW ORLEANS — Another guilty plea has come down in a wide-ranging federal investigation into staged accidents in New Orleans. Eleven people have been in indicted in what law enforcement officials say is an expanding probe into tractor-trailer accidents staged in New Orleans, Louisiana, to defraud trucking and insurance . The Louisiana staged accident investigation has found new targets. As part of a federal investigation into intentional collisions with trucks, seven . A Lafayette man was sentenced this week to 10 months in prison for his role in a broad insurance scam to stage traffic accidents with 18-wheelers in New Orleans. The three defendants admitted to being involved in a crash on June 8, 2016, near Chickasaw . As of early November 2020, 11 of the 33 indicted defendants had tendered guilty pleas in relation to the scheme.Among those who have pleaded guilty and admitted their participation are Solomon's codefendants — Larry Williams, Lucinda Thomas, Mary Wade, Judy Williams, Dashontae Young, and Damian Labeaud. But that was just a case that a driver actually won. With the latest New Orleans weather, sports and stories from . (WVUE) - According to court documents, a grand jury indicted four additional people in the case today. The indictment brought the total to 32 people accused of faking accidents with tractor-trailers to get insurance money, federal prosecutors in New Orleans said. The U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans late last week indicted 11 individuals in connection with a scam to create crashes between cars and 18-wheelers and cash in on insurance payments. The three defendants admitted to being involved in a crash on June 8, 2016, near Chickasaw . The years-long staged New Orleans truck crash scheme involved packing a car with people and intentionally sideswiping a semi truck to try to collect money for nonexistent or exaggerated injuries. Hickman intentionally crashed into a C.R. The U.S. Attorney . Now, on August 6, 2020, Damian Labeaud pleaded guilty to . NEW ORLEANS — The seventh of eight defendants in a sprawling and still-active federal investigation into fraudulent lawsuits stemming from staged truck . U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana . New Orleans staged accident scheme sends Marrero man to prison for a year A Marrero man was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison for his part in a wide-ranging staged accident scheme that bilked insurance companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to . NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DANNY PATRICK KEATING, JR., age 52, of New Orleans, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans before Chief United . When Damien Labeaud got hired by indicted New Orleans attorney Danny Keating in 2017, it was as a "runner" and parts of the job reportedly were for legitimate purposes. Auto Fraud. England semi truck in the area of Alvar Street and France Road in New Orleans. The Honorable Jane Triche Milazzo set sentencing in this matter for July 13. News of the staged accidents in the New Orleans area was first reported in March 2019 for incidents involving two tractor-trailers in 2017. NEW ORLEANS —. (WVUE) - The US Attorney has charged nine more people in what it calls an "expanding federal probe into the staging of auto accidents" in New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS, La. The indictments were unsealed Feb. 3. 2 minutes read. NEW ORLEANS, La. Thursday, August 12, 2010. There have been 30 guilty pleas. Ryan Wheaten, 54, is one of 33 defendants charged in the federal investigation. The . A New Orleans lawyer has pleaded guilty and two others are under investigation for hiring a team to stage a series of accidents with 18-wheelers in the New Orleans area. Keishira Robinson, 27, of New Orleans, has been sentenced to pay $4.7 million in restitution and serve five years of probation for her role in a scheme authorities have dubbed "Operation Sideswipe.". U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of . England was involved in . LARRY WILLIAMS told the New Orleans Police Department ("NOPD") that he was the driver of the Trailblazer and that the tractor-trailer was at fault. Seven more people have been charged with staging accidents with 18-wheelers in New Orleans to collect insurance payouts, bringing the total number of defendants in the wide . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Prior to the staged crash, Anthony Robinson pulled over, exited the vehicle and allowed "slammer" Roderick Hickman to take the wheel. The indictment brought the total to 32 people accused of faking accidents with tractor-trailers to get insurance money, federal prosecutors in New Orleans said. Monday, August 24, 2020 . Updated: 10:31 AM CDT September 25, 2020. Monday, August 24, 2020 . The indictment alleges that the group conspired in a scheme to stage . In one, she watched from another vehicle as Labeaud crashed a . Seven individuals have been charged with staging two accidents with tractor-trailers in New Orleans, bringing the number of indictments to 40 in a federal investigation into intentional collisions An additional defendant, Mario Solomon, recently pleaded guilty to serving as a spotter for Damian Labeaud. Three more women have been ordered to repay a total of $5.5 million to companies they defrauded in a broad scheme to stage vehicle accidents on New Orleans roads. Danny P. Keating, a New Orleans attorney, was indicted Thursday in the Eastern District of Louisiana on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to an announcement from the office of U.S. attorney for the . NEW ORLEANS, La. Five more defendants accused of conspiring to stage big-rig truck accidents in a wide-ranging insurance fraud scheme have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans reported. The . The indictment claims Garrison served as a "slammer" in the staged crash scheme and was responsible for at least 50 . Another guilty plea has come down in a wide-ranging federal investigation into staged accidents in New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS — Three Louisiana women have been ordered to repay a total of $5.5 million to companies defrauded in a scheme to stage wrecks. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans in the Eastern District of Louisiana announced . Keishira Richardson, 27, Chandrika Brown, 31, and Aisha Thompson, 44, are among three dozen people convicted so far - out of 47 charged - in what federal prosecutors call . According to the Superseding Indictment, before on or about June 6, 2017, Attorney A and LABEAUD met at a restaurant in New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Four people have been charged in what prosecutors say was a staged wreck that was settled for $4.7 million. Keating was indicted on federal mail fraud charges last week as the first attorney charged in the Louisiana staged accident scheme. New Orleans attorney Danny Patrick Keating, Jr. - who was identified, until recently, as "Attorney A" in federal court documents - is the first attorney indicted in the New Orleans-area insurance fraud scheme involving staged motor vehicle accidents with 18-wheelers. NEW ORLEANS — The ongoing federal investigation into staged accidents has netted a 33rd guilty plea, our partners at NOLA.com report. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Duane Evans announced Tuesday that seven individuals had been charged with involvement in the scheme, the first indictments handed down since September 2021. This is a story WDSU Investigates has been following for more than two years. Auto Fraud. Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves. On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced that Latrell Johnson, 30, of New . The crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. on June 12, 2017, between the Danziger Bridge and the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road in New Orleans. On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced that Latrell Johnson, 30, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The Operation Sideswipe investigation has led to 47 people being charged, including one personal injury attorney. The collision took . A Lafayette man was sentenced this week to 10 months in prison for his role in a broad insurance scam to stage traffic accidents with 18-wheelers in New Orleans. A federal grand jury has indicted seven more people in the staged vehicle accidents in New Orleans East and Gentilly. Five more individuals have pled guilty to their involvement in insurance fraud schemes arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers in New Orleans, Louisiana. There have been 36 defendants convicted in the staged-crash fraud scheme. Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022: Seven more charged in New Orleans staged-accident scheme targeting truckers. 54-year-old Cornelius . Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Feb. 18, 2022: Seven more charged in New Orleans staged-accident scheme targeting trucking companies. 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