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. Today’s indictment charges CORNELIUS GARRISON (“GARRISON”), age 54, of New Orleans, Louisiana; DONIESHA GIBSON (“GIBSON”), age 29, of New Orleans, Louisiana; CHANDRIKA BROWN (“BROWN”), age 29, of Slidell, Louisiana; ISHAIS PRICE (“PRICE”), age 49, of New Orleans, Louisiana; AISHA THOMPSON (“THOMPSON”), age 42, of New Orleans, Louisiana; DEWAYNE COLEMAN (“COLEMAN”), age 21, of Marrero, Louisiana; DONISESHA LEE, age 30, of Harvey, Louisiana; DONREION LEE, age 22, of Harvey, Louisiana; and ERICA LEE THOMPSON (“ERICA LEE”), age 46, of Harvey, Louisiana.  These nine defendants were charged in a seven-count federal indictment with one (1) count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and six (6) counts of Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. The indictment alleges that the defendants intentionally used vehicles to cause staged motor vehicle accidents with commercial carriers in order to defraud these carriers and their insurance companies.  If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five (5) years for Count 1 and twenty (20) years as to Counts 2-7.  Upon their release from prison, each defendant can be placed on a term of supervised release for up to five (5) years and fined up to $250,000.00 per count or twice the gross gain to the defendant of twice the gross loss to the victim.

According to today’s indictment and previous indictments, there were five (5) “slammers,” that is individuals who intentionally caused motor vehicle accidents to defraud commercial vehicles and insurance companies, operating in the New Orleans metropolitan area.  Two alleged slammers, Damian Labeaud and Roderick Hickman, are charged in previous indictments, and, two additional alleged slammers have since died.  Today’s indictment alleges that GARRISON was a slammer. 

GARRISON is charged with staging over 50 accidents and was paid over $150,000 by an unnamed Co-Conspirator (“Co-Conspirator A”).  Co-Conspirator A instructed GARRISON as to the number of passengers to use in the staged accidents and to avoid areas patrolled by the Louisiana State Police and instead stage the accidents under the jurisdiction of the New Orleans Police Department.  The indictment alleges that Co-Conspirator A referred the staged accident cases to an attorney referenced as Attorney B.   GARRISON staged accidents mostly on Interstate 10 from Slidell to Baton Rouge and usually at night to avoid eyewitnesses.  GARRISON targeted commercial vehicles, including tractor-trailers, that were changing lanes and would cause the accident by striking the commercial vehicle or tractor-trailer in their blind spot, using the slammer vehicle.  After the accident, GARRISION would usually exit the vehicle from the passenger side in order to avoid being seen by the driver of the target vehicle.  GARRISON instructed the passengers to call 911 to report that they had been hit by a vehicle.  A passenger in the vehicle would falsely claim to have been the driver at the time of the staged accident.         

The instant indictment charges GARRISON with staging two accidents.  The first occurred on October 15, 2015, and involved a Hotard bus.  GARRISON intentionally drove a 2014 Dodge Avenger owned by GIBSON into a Hotard bus while traveling on the I-10 near the flyover of the I-510.  Also in the vehicle were defendants BROWN and PRICE.  Total settlement for the Hotard bus accident was approximately $677,500.

The second staged accident charged in this indictment occurred on September 6, 2017, on the I-10 near the Almonaster exit when GARRISON crashed defendant ERICA LEE’s 2015 RAV4 into a tractor-trailer owned by Averitt Express.  The passengers in this vehicle were COLEMAN, DONISEHA LEE, DONREION LEE, and an unknown female passenger who gave the name Aisha Thompson to the police after the staged accident.  Total settlement for the Averitt accident was $30,000.

In total, the victim trucking, bus, and insurance companies paid out approximately $707,500.00 for these two fraudulent claims.      

An arrest warrant was issued for COLEMAN. The remaining defendants will be required to appear, at a later date, before a United States Magistrate Judge for an initial appearance and arraignment on this indictment.

U.S. Attorney Strasser 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 also 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 Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.

                                                           *   *   *

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today the Indictment of RODERICK HICKMAN (“HICKMAN”), age 49, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; LOIS RUSSELL (“RUSSELL”), age 61, of Gibson, Louisiana; JAMES WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 65, of Gibson, Louisiana; TANYA GIVENS (“GIVENS”), age 42, of Gibson, Louisiana; JOHN DIGGS (“J. DIGGS”), age 59, of Thibodaux, Louisiana; HENRY RANDLE (“RANDLE”), age 63, of Gibson, Louisiana; RYAN WHEATEN (“WHEATEN”), age 52, of Lafayette, Louisiana; DAKOTA DIGGS (“DIGGS”), age 25, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas; BERNELL GALE (“GALE”), age 43, of Raceland, Louisiana; MARVEL FRANCOIS (“FRANCOIS”), age 56, of Houma, Louisiana; and TROY SMITH (“SMITH”), age 56, of Houma, Louisiana.  These eleven defendants were charged in a seven-count federal indictment with one (1) count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and six (6) counts of Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341.  If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five (5) years for Count 1 and twenty (20) years as to Counts 2-7.  Upon their release from prison, each defendant can be placed on a term of supervised release for up to five (5) years and fined up to $250,000.00 per count.

Today’s indictment charges these defendants and others with intentionally staging automobile accidents with tractor-trailers in New Orleans to defraud trucking and insurance companies through fraud.  According to today’s indictment, defendants HICKMAN, RUSSELL, WILLIAMS, GIVENS, and J. DIGGS intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer on March 27, 2017, at the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road.  The indictment alleges that HICKMAN intentionally struck the 18-wheeler and then fled the scene with Damian Labeaud (“Labeaud”), who pled guilty to a previous indictment charging him and seven others with staging automobile accidents.

The indictment also alleges that defendants RANDLE, D. DIGGS, and WHEATEN intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer on May 17, 2017, in the area of Calliope Street and US-90 East.  Labeaud was the actual driver of the vehicle when he intentionally caused the accident with the tractor-trailer.  Mario Solomon, also charged and convicted in an earlier indictment, picked up Labeaud from the collision site.  Labeaud participated in another staged accident approximately 30 minutes later in the vicinity of Louisa Street and Chickasaw Street.  The participants in the Louisa Street staged accident were FRANCOIS, GALE, SMITH, and another passenger.  Again, Labeaud fled the scene. 

As discussed in the indictment, the passengers were referred to attorneys who paid HICKMAN and Labeaud to stage the accidents.  In some cases, the attorneys knew that the participants were uninjured but referred them to medical providers for treatment to increase the value of subsequent lawsuits.  In total, the victim trucking and insurance companies paid out $277,500.00 for these fraudulent claims.          

Arrest Warrants were issued for RUSSELL, J. DIGGS, WHEATEN, and D. DIGGS. The remaining defendant’s will be required to appear, at a later date, before a United States Magistrate Judge for an initial appearance and arraignment on this indictment.

U.S. Attorney Strasser 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 also 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 Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera, Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.

 

*   *   *

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that U. S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced FRANK GARDNER, age 54, of Houston, Texas, to 48 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release after GARDNER pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one hundred grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride.

According to court documents, on February 11 2015, Louisiana State Troopers conducted traffic stops on two vehicles in Hammond, Louisiana headed eastbound on Interstate 10.  In one vehicle were two individuals, identified as Derrick Wesley and James Williams.  Driving the second vehicle was an individual identified as Quardarell Robinson.  All three individuals were from Florida.  After issuing Wesley and Robinson, the drivers of the respective vehicles, traffic citations, the Troopers obtained probable cause to search both vehicles.  Inside the vehicle driven by Wesley, Troopers found seven kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and $47,990.00 in cash.  Also in both vehicles were vehicle rental documents.  The documents revealed that Robinson rented the vehicle driven by Wesley and that Wesley rented the vehicle driven by Robinson.  After seizing the drugs and money, the Troopers arrested all three individuals.

Further investigation by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration revealed that Williams, Wesley and Robinson were returning from Houston, Texas where they met with GARDNER, who arranged the drug transaction.  Agents also learned that GARDNER had arranged three prior cocaine transactions with Williams, Wesley, and Robinson.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorneys André Jones and Nicholas D. Moses were in charge of the prosecution.