The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced today the return of a thirteen-count second superseding indictment by a grand jury in connection with a widespread scheme to stage automobile collisions in the New Orleans area.
The indictment, issued on April 25, 2025, includes startling new allegations against two defendants for their alleged involvement in the murder of a federal witness cooperating in the investigation.
According to the indictment, SEAN D. ALFORTISH, 57, of New Orleans, and LEON M. PARKER, also known as “Chunky,” 51, of New Orleans, are now charged with conspiring to murder Cornelius Garrison, a key federal witness in the staged collision scheme.
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Garrison, who acted as a “slammer” by intentionally sideswiping 18-wheeler tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles, was cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when he was killed on September 22, 2020, at his mother’s residence in New Orleans.
The indictment further reveals that Ryan J. Harris, a former codefendant in the case, had already pleaded guilty in January 2025 to causing death through the use of a firearm for his role in Garrison’s homicide, alongside charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
In addition to the homicide allegations, the second superseding indictment names several other individuals and entities for their alleged participation in the insurance fraud scheme.
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These include ALFORTISH; PARKER; VANESSA MOTTA, 43, of New Orleans; MOTTA LAW, LLC, a New Orleans-based law firm; JASON F. GILES, 46, of New Orleans; THE KING FIRM, LLC, a New Orleans law firm; DIAMINIKE F. STALBERT, 34, of Metairie; CARL MORGAN, 66, of New Orleans; and TIMARA N. LAWRENCE, 34, of New Orleans.
They are accused of conspiring to defraud insurance companies and commercial trucking companies through intentionally staged automobile collisions.
The indictment details a complex scheme involving individuals who acted as passengers in the staged collisions, later making false statements as part of fraudulent insurance claims and lawsuits.
It also describes “slammers” who intentionally caused collisions with commercial vehicles before fleeing the scene, allowing passengers to falsely claim they were driving. Harris, Garrison, Damian Labeaud, and Roderick Hickman were identified as slammers who allegedly recruited others to participate.
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Furthermore, the scheme involved “spotters” who drove getaway cars for the slammers and sometimes posed as eyewitnesses to falsely implicate the commercial vehicles. Attorneys, including ALFORTISH, MOTTA, GILES, and then-attorney Danny Patrick Keating, along with others associated with the legal professionals, are accused of pursuing fraudulent claims and lawsuits knowing they were based on staged collisions.
The charges in the second superseding indictment include:
- Count One: Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud against ALFORTISH, MOTTA, MOTTA LAW, GILES, THE KING FIRM, MORGAN, PARKER, STALBERT, and LAWRENCE. If convicted, they face up to 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Counts Two and Three: Mail fraud against GILES and THE KING FIRM (Count Two), and ALFORTISH, MOTTA, MOTTA LAW, and PARKER (Count Three). Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Counts Four and Six: Obstruction of justice against ALFORTISH, MOTTA, and MOTTA LAW (Count Four), and GILES and THE KING FIRM (Count Six). The maximum penalty for each is 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Counts Five and Seven: Witness tampering against ALFORTISH, MOTTA, and MOTTA LAW (Count Five), and GILES and THE KING FIRM (Count Seven). Each count carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss.
- Count Eight: Making false statements to a federal agent against STALBERT, carrying a potential penalty of up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
- Counts Nine through Thirteen: Related to the homicide of Cornelius Garrison, charging ALFORTISH and PARKER with conspiracy to commit witness tampering through murder (Count Nine), witness tampering through murder (Count Ten), conspiracy to retaliate against a witness through murder (Count Eleven), retaliation against a witness through murder (Count Twelve), and causing Garrison’s death through the use of a firearm (Count Thirteen). Each of these counts carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division expressed their gratitude for the extensive work of the FBI, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police in this ongoing investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Payne, Brian M. Klebba, and Mary Katherine Kaufman, along with Trial Attorney J. Ryan McLaren.
This latest indictment brings the total number of individuals charged in the federal probe into staged automobile collisions in the New Orleans metropolitan area to sixty-three.
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