Three Extra Sentenced in Staged New Orleans Crashes

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Three extra people have been sentenced over the previous two months for his or her roles in staged crashes with tractor-trailers within the New Orleans space.

The sentences have been the newest improvement within the so-called crash-for-cash felony schemes towards unknowing truckers. Prosecutors mentioned every of the schemes was orchestrated by a “slammer,” or driver, paid by a neighborhood lawyer who filed fraudulent lawsuits towards the trucking corporations on behalf of the members within the three staged accidents that every one occurred in 2017.

Thus far, the variety of women and men busted within the FBI’s “Operation Sideswipe” investigation has reached greater than 50, and is prone to proceed rising in coming months. The federal government believes that as many as 150 staged accidents have occurred within the New Orleans space, and dozens of the scammers have collected judgments totaling hundreds of thousands of {dollars} relationship to 2015 in fraudulent lawsuits.

The newest sentences:

• Larry Picou, 57, of Gibson, La., was sentenced to 5 years probation for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and pay restitution of $200,000 arising out of a staged car accident with a tractor-trailer in 2017. After the intentional collision, Picou and his co-conspirators made false police stories, lied in depositions, and filed fraudulent lawsuits claiming that the tractor-trailer was at fault. The scheme brought about the insurance coverage firm for the tractor-trailer to pay over $140,000 in settlement funds.
• Lois Russell, 63, of Gibson, La., was sentenced to 5 years probation for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, for taking part in a staged car accident in 2017 with a number of others, utilizing her personal automobile to deliberately crash right into a tractor-trailer. In line with courtroom paperwork, Russell lied to New Orleans police, telling officers that she was the motive force and that the truck driver was at fault for the accident. She additionally filed claims for private accidents. In whole, the sufferer trucking and insurance coverage corporations paid out $272,500 in fraudulent claims for the crash, prosecutors mentioned.
• Troylynn Brown, 35, no residence supplied, was sentenced to 2 years in jail for conspiracy to commit mail fraud in reference to a staged crash in 2017. In line with courtroom paperwork, Brown falsely claimed that considered one of her fellow passengers within the automobile was driving in the course of the crash when actually it was a special “slammer” that participated in an many as 100 staged accidents. Prosecutors mentioned that on account of her false statements and deception, Brown secured a $70,000 financial settlement from the proprietor and insurer of the tractor-trailer.

Trucking corporations that journey by way of the New Orleans space have since 2019 been alerted to the staged accidents by attorneys with trucking corporations and insurance coverage shoppers who have been really victims within the schemes. In 2019, attorneys representing victims and potential victims recognized similarities amongst no less than 30 separate circumstances.

Almost all the staged accidents have included a number of individuals in a claimant car, sideswipe allegations with industrial car trailers, minimal injury to the claimant car, little to no injury to the insured trailer, and industrial car drivers who’re both unaware of or have denied fault in a crash.

Prosecutors have mentioned that New Orleans lawyer Danny Patrick Keating really paid “slammers,” or drivers who crashed vehicles into the vans, as much as $1,000 for every automobile passenger sitting within the crash car.

Thus far, Keating is the one lawyer who has been charged with submitting fraudulent claims, however 4 different unidentified attorneys talked about in charging paperwork even have been accused of felony exercise within the scams. None have but been charged.

The FBI, Louisiana State Police and the Metropolitan Crime Fee have been taking part within the ongoing investigation.

The investigation turned darkish in September of 2020. Solely 4 days after he was indicted, one of many alleged ringleaders, Cornelius Garrison, was murdered amid stories that he had been cooperating with federal investigators.