Operation Sideswipe: Disappointing Outcome as Attorneys Avoid Major Charges in Massive Fraud Case Exposing Intentional Accidents

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : As a massive federal fraud case wraps up with mostly low-level defendants, the anticipated car insurance savings for Louisiana drivers have failed to materialize. The sprawling five-year federal investigation, known as “Operation Sideswipe,” aimed to curtail fraud by exposing more than 100 intentional accidents involving 18-wheel trucks. However, despite the indictment of 52 people, with 44 of them pleading guilty, only a single attorney has been charged so far.

The remaining 51 defendants are passengers who had hoped to cheat their way to a big payday, along with a small number of street-level organizers of the scheme known as “slammers.” While most of the defendants have been cooperating with federal authorities as part of their plea agreements, the efforts to implicate attorneys who filed fraudulent lawsuits have faced significant roadblocks.

One major setback occurred when a key slammer-turned-federal witness, Cornelius Garrison, was fatally shot in September 2020 after his indictment was made public. Additionally, many of the attorneys under scrutiny for filing false claims have hired their own criminal defense lawyers, who have been proactive in defending their clients even before any indictments were issued.

Among the evidence shared with federal prosecutors was a tape recording in which one confessed slammer, Damian Labeaud, is heard talking to the accident attorneys he referred cases to. In the recording, Labeaud denies any involvement in fraud. Despite such evidence, the failure to indict more than one attorney has been disappointing for those closely following the case. Some argue that the individuals orchestrating these crimes should be held more accountable than the low-level participants.

The prevalence of accident fraud in Louisiana is estimated to add at least $600 a year in car insurance costs for every driver in the state. The hope was that “Operation Sideswipe” would help lower these costs, but suspect lawsuits continue to clog the courts, and the anticipated savings have not been realized. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner-elect Tim Temple expressed his frustration, stating that such fraud is unacceptable and unaffordable.

Personal injury attorney Edwin Shorty Jr., who has been involved in the case, believes that making a criminal case against attorneys who file fraudulent accident lawsuits is more challenging than targeting the low-level scammers. Shorty initially pursued a lawsuit against a trucking company on behalf of three individuals who claimed to have been hit by a truck on I-10. However, when the federal investigation gained traction, Shorty decided to withdraw from the case due to growing concerns.

Not all attorneys, however, have backed away from cases flagged by federal authorities as suspicious. Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-attorney Vanessa Motta, who is listed as “Attorney B” in court documents, had five of the eight accident lawsuits that were frozen due to the criminal probe. Motta’s fiancé, Sean Alfortish, a disbarred attorney with a history of fraudulent activities, is listed as “Co-conspirator A.” Despite these associations, neither Motta nor Alfortish have been charged, and Motta’s attorney maintains that there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

As the federal investigation has slowed down, some of Motta’s accident lawsuits have proceeded to court, only to be dropped or dismissed after years of expensive litigation. In one case involving brothers Keyon and Joshua Youngblood, a four-day trial revealed that Joshua was not even present at the accident scene, undermining the credibility of the lawsuit. This has raised concerns among legal experts, who argue that attorneys should have been more vigilant in identifying fraudulent claims before taking them to trial.

The fight against fraud in Louisiana continues, with efforts to combat fraudulent claims likely to be intensified. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner-elect Tim Temple emphasized the need to double down on these efforts and ensure that the state is not identified as a hotspot for fraudulent activities. As “Operation Sideswipe” draws to a close, Temple and others involved in combating fraud will explore new strategies to protect consumers and reduce car insurance costs for Louisiana drivers..