Seven more defendants have been indicted in New Orleans for their alleged involvement in schemes to stage accidents with commercial trucks.
United States Attorney Duane A. Evans said Ashley McGowan, age 35; Lertrice Johnson, age 45; Davienque Johnson, age 27; Herbert Allen, age 36, Troylynn Brown, age 34; Dion Ridley, age 22; and Jarvis Brown, age 29, of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged with conspiring among themselves and with others to stage automobile accidents in Louisiana with tractor-trailers in order to defraud trucking and insurance companies.
The current indictments bring the total of defendants charged in “Operation Sideswipe,” a long running scheme to defraud trucking and insurance companies by staging of accidents with tractor-trailers to 40.
The current seven defendants were charged in a four-count federal indictment. All of the defendants were charged in count one with conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
McGowan, L. Johnson, and D. Johnson were charged in count two with mail fraud.
Allen, T. Brown, Ridley, and J. Brown were charged in counts three and four with mail fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 2.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years for Count 1 and 20 years as to Counts 2-4.
Upon their release from prison, each defendant can be placed on a term of supervised release for up to five years and fined up to $250,000.00 per count.
The defendants must pay a mandatory $100 special assessment cost for each count of conviction.
Two incidents are at the center of this indictment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The first occurred on June 8, 2016, when McGowan, L. Johnson, and D. Johnson allegedly conspired with Damien Labeaud, Keishira Robinson, and others to intentionally collide with a tractor-trailer in the area of Chickasaw Street and Louisa Street in New Orleans.
For their part, Labeaud and K. Robinson were charged in previous indictments and pleaded guilty to their role in the staged automobile accident scheme.
The second intentional collision occurred on June 28, 2017, and involved defendants Allen, T. Brown, Ridley, and J. Brown. Each of these defendants was a passenger in a car that intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer on the corner of Calliope Street and Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans. Each of the four defendants lied in depositions about the nature of the accident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
As discussed in the indictment, Labeaud and Hickman received payments for referring the defendants to attorneys who would handle their cases. The defendants were treated by doctors and healthcare providers at the direction of their attorneys. Furthermore, through their attorneys, the defendants secured settlements from the insurance companies who insured the commercial carriers.
The defendants will be required to appear before a United States Magistrate Judge for an initial appearance and arraignment on this Indictment.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long; Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office
Topics Louisiana
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