Ten charged in New Orleans staged crashes including prominent lawyers, business owner
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A total of eight individuals and two law firms have been listed in an indictment surrounding staged car crashes around New Orleans.
The Louisiana Department of Justice unsealed the indictment on Monday, Dec. 9. The following have been indicted and charged:
36-year-old Ryan J. Harris
57-year-old Sean D. Alfortish
43-year-old Vanessa Motta, Owner of Mott LLC
45-year-old Jason F. Giles
51-year-old Leon M. Parker
34-year-old Diaminikie F. Stalbert
66-year-old Carl Morgan
34-year-old Timara N. Lawrence
Motta Law, LLC
The King Law Firm, LLC
The indictment came after Parker was arrested by the FBI on Monday, Dec. 9.
Court documents revealed all individuals had been a part of a “conspiracy” allegedly engaging in a fraud scheme, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, witness tampering through murder and retaliation against a witness through murder.
They are accused of staging vehicle crashes through the New Orleans Metropolitan area in order to submit fraudulent insurance claims. They also reportedly filed fraudulent lawsuits in state and federal courts and made material misrepresentations to prevent the detection of their scheme.
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The scheme reportedly consisted of individuals driving vehicles and then purposely colliding with 18-wheelers and commercial vehicles. Both drivers and passengers allegedly lied as part of the claim.
After the collision, documents stated drivers, “the slammers,” fled the scene, while the passenger claimed to have driven the vehicle during the crash. They would get into a get-away vehicle with “spotters” who would also double as “witnesses.”
The document further noted that Cornelius Garrison, then attorney Danny Patrick Keating, Damian Labeaud, Roderick Hickman and others allegedly participated in the scheme.
The document listed Harris, Garrison, Labeaud and Hickman as “slammers” who also recruited others to participate. Harris and Garrison also reportedly tried to cause passengers to hire the attorneys involved in the scheme.
Since Dec. 12, 2011, up until the indictment, Harris, Garrison, Labeaud, Hickman and the others staged approximately 22 crashes.
Harris, Alfortish, Motta Motta Law, Giles, The King Firm, Morgan, Parker, Stalbert and Lawrence are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Giles and The King Firm are charged with mail fraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Alfortish, Motta and Motta Law are charged with obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Stalbert is charged with making false statements.
Harris is charged with witness tampering through murder, retaliation against a witness through murder and causing death through the use of a firearm.
On Sept. 22, 2020, Harris allegedly murdered and aided and abetted the murder of Garrison, who reportedly began covertly cooperating with the federal government concerning the staged crashes.
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Parker appeared in court on Dec. 9. Harris has been in custody since his May 3 arrest.
Alfortish, Motta, Motta Law, Giles, The King Firm, Morgan, Stalbert and Lawrence will make their first court appearance in the near future.
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