In his continuing crusade against the staged accident ring in the New Orleans area, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Duane A. Evans announced in the last three months the indictment of seven more individuals, the guilty plea of six more people, and the sentencing of five defendants.
On Feb. 9, 2022, the U.S. Attorney announced that seven more individuals were charged in the staged automobile accident scheme. The individuals charged are Florence Randle, Stacie Wheaten, Joseph Brewton, David Brown, Gilda Henderson, Latrell Johnson and Larry Picou. These seven defendants were charged in a 10-count federal indictment. This brings the number of indictments in Operation Sideswipe to 47.
All seven were charged in count one with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Brewton was charged in count two to seven with mail fraud. David Brown, Henderson, Latrell Johnson and Picou were charged in counts five and six with mail fraud. Randle and Wheaten were charged in counts seven through 10, with mail fraud.
According to court documents Brewton, Randle and Wheaten served as intermediaries who directed passengers to participate in staged automobile accidents. Brewton helped arrange accidents that took place on March 27, 2017, and May 11, 2017. Randle and Wheaten helped to coordinate accidents on May 17, 2017, and June 5, 2017.
The indictment alleges that David Brown, Henderson, Latrell Johnson and Picou falsely claimed that they were passengers in a car that was struck by a tractor-trailer on May 11, 2017. In fact, the defendants conspired with Brewton and others to intentionally collide with a tractor-trailer in the area of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road in New Orleans. After the collision, David Brown, Henderson, Latrell Johnson and Picou made a false police report, lied in depositions and filed fraudulent lawsuits claiming the tractor-trailer was at fault causing the insurance company for the tractor-trailer to pay over $140,000 in settlement funds.
David Brown, Henderson and Latrell Johnson each pled guilty to count one. David Brown pled guilty on April 28, 2022; Henderson pled guilty on April 14, 2022, and Latrell Johnson pled guilty on March 17, 2022. They each face a maximum penalty of five years for count one, and upon release from prison can be placed on supervised release for up to five years and fined up to $250,000.
If convicted, the other defendants face a maximum penalty of five years for count one, and 20 years for counts two through 10. In addition, each of the other defendants upon release from prison can be placed on supervised release for up to five years and fined up to $250,000 per count.
In addition to David Brown, Henderson and Latrell Johnson, the other defendants who pled guilty in the last three months are Ishais Price, March 23, 2022; Ashley McGowan, April 1, 2022, and Davienque Johnson, April 7, 2022. This brings the total number of guilty pleas in Operation Sideswipe to 37.
Price, according to her guilty plea, claimed that on Oct.15 she was a passenger in a vehicle that was hit by a Hotard bus while traveling on I-10 near the flyover of I-510.
Price, along with the other passengers in the vehicle falsely stated that the Hotard bus illegally changed lanes and caused the accident. Price and the other occupants of the vehicle each retained counsel and made demands against Hotard’s owner and insurer for personal injury damages. As a result of the claims, the insurer used the U.S. mail to send settlement drafts to Price and the other defendant’s counsel. The total settlement for the Hotard bus accident was approximately $677,500.
Price faces a maximum sentence of five years of incarceration, a term of supervised release at the end of incarceration for up to three years, and/or a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is set for June 14, 2022.
McGowan and Davienque Johnson, according to their guilty plea, claimed that on June 8, 2016, they were passengers in a vehicle that was struck by a tractor-trailer in the area of Chickasaw Street and Louisa Street in New Orleans.
McGowan and Davienque Johnson, along with other passengers in the vehicle, lied in depositions, falsely claiming that Keishira Robinson was driving the car that collided with the tractor-trailer, when in fact Damien Labeaud was driving the car. The defendants also falsely claimed that McGowan was riding in the car at the time of the collision, even though she was riding in the spotter or getaway car and only entered the slammer car after the collision occurred. Labeaud and Robinson have been charged in previous indictments and pled guilty to their roles in the staged automobile accident scheme.
McGowan and Davienque Johnson face a maximum sentence of five years of incarceration, a term of supervised release at the end of incarceration for up to three years, and/or a fine of $250,000. McGowan is set for sentencing on June 14, 2022, and Davienque Johnson is set for sentencing on July 13, 2022.
The five defendants who were sentenced were Dewayne Coleman, Donisha Lee, Aisha Thompson, Chandrika Brown and Robinson.
Coleman, Lee and Thompson admitted that on Sept. 6, 2017, on I-10 near the Almonaster exit, they were passengers in a 2015 Rav4 that was intentionally crashed into a tractor-trailer. The alleged occupants of the car contacted the New Orleans Police Department and made false statements about who was driving the car at the time of the accident. Coleman, Lee and Thompson retained counsel and made claims for damages. The total settlement for the accident with the Averitt Express tractor-trailer was $30,000.
In addition, on March 26, 2019, Coleman, Lee and Thompson provided false testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with the lawsuit. In their deposition, Coleman, Lee and Thompson all lied about the Sept. 6, 2017, accident including, but not limited to, who was driving the vehicle and the extent of their injuries.
U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced Coleman to 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, $121,076 in restitution, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Vance sentenced Lee to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, $121,076 in restitution, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Vance sentenced Thompson to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, $677,500 in restitution, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Chandrika Brown falsely claimed that she was a passenger in the vehicle that was hit by a Hotard bus on Oct. 15, 2015. In addition, Chandrika Brown provided false testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with the lawsuit.
Vance sentenced Chandrika Brown to three years’ probation, $121,076 in restitution, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Robinson admitted that she falsely claimed that on Oct. 13, 2015, she was a passenger in a vehicle accident at the base of the Danziger Bridge/Chef Menteur Highway where, according to previous federal indictments, numerous staged accidents have occurred.
In addition, Robinson provided false testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with the lawsuit. In her deposition, Robinson lied about the Oct. 13, 2015, accident including, but not limited to, who was driving the vehicle and the extent of her injuries.
C.R. England Inc. and its insurer ACE American paid out $4.725 million for the two lawsuits stemming from the staged accident on Oct. 13, 2015. C.R. England Inc. was self-insured for vehicle accidents for claims up to its self-insured limits, and ACE American provided excess insurance coverage for C.R. England. C.R. England paid out $2.01 million and the remainder of the $4.725 million settlement was paid by ACE American.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle sentenced Robinson to five years of probation, $4.725 million in restitution, 100 hours of community service, a mandatory $100 special assessment fee and the court granted the preliminary order of forfeiture in the amount of $5,000.
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