The Trucker News Staff

BUTLER COUNTY, Ala. — As Tropical Storm Claudette plowed through Alabama Saturday, June 19, a fiery pileup involving 12 vehicles, two of them big rigs, claimed the lives of 10 people and injured numerous others. Nine of the 10 dead were juveniles ranging in age from 9 months to 17 years; the tenth was the 29-year-old father of one of the children. The crash took place shortly before 2:30 p.m. at mile marker 138 on northbound Interstate 65 in Butler County, according to a statement released by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). When troopers with ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division reached the scene, seven of the vehicles had already burst into flames. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office in a social media post Saturday night described the crash as the “worst ever” in the county. “It is with heavy heart that I make this post,” the post read. “Butler County has had one of the most terrible traffic accidents that I believe is the worst ever in our county. Many vehicles were involved, many injuries and even deaths. Please pray for the families of the ones involved and first responders, law enforcement, EMS, wrecker services, fire departments, ALDOT, hospital personnel, volunteers, chaplains and anyone that assisted.” Eight of the victims were traveling in a van from the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Alabama Sheriffs’ Association that provides a home for abused and neglected children, including foster children. The names of the children have not been released. The driver of the van, ranch director Candice Gulley, survived but two of her children, ages 4 and 16, were among the eight killed. Gulley was pulled from the flames by a bystander; on Monday, it was reported that she remained hospitalized in Montgomery, Alabama, in serious but stable condition. The group was returning from an annual trip to the Gulf Coast. A U.S. flag flew at half-staff at the ranch on Monday, and bouquets of flowers decorated a sign. Grim-faced workers and volunteers came and went in silence as the chief executive struggled to keep his emotions in check. “I know that we lost eight of our children. That’s what I know,” said Michael Smith. Smith said there were two vans from the camp along with a car pulling a trailer loaded with suitcases. The lead van was involved in the crash, he said. “Many of our children have never even seen the beach, so it’s an annual event that we’re able to take these children down there,” he said. This was the first visit back to the beach after the COVID-19 pandemic, “and we were so excited.” Also killed in the pile-up were Cody Fox, 29, of New Hope, Tennessee, and his daughter, Ariana Fox, who was 9 months old. Butler County Coroner Wayne Garlock said multiple vehicles probably hydroplaned in the vacationer-heavy area he said was “notorious” for dangerous conditions where the northbound highway curves down a hill to a small creek. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey expressed her grief in a June 20 social media post. “Yesterday was a tragic day for our state,” she wrote. “My heart goes out to the loved ones of all who perished during the storm in Butler & Tuscaloosa counties. Let’s keep these families, communities & first responders lifted in prayer.” In a June 20 statement, Hal Taylor, ALEA’s Secretary of Law Enforcement expressed gratitude to the first responders and volunteers who assisted at the scene of the crash, noting that “investigating fatal crashes is one of the most difficult responsibilities of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.” “(This) was an extremely heartbreaking day for the state of Alabama as 10 lives were tragically lost in one horrific event,” he said. “It was a difficult and unimaginable scene for many, and our thoughts and prayers are with all involved as we continue to investigate and provide closure for those affected.” Justin Lovvorn, chief of police for the nearby town of Greenville, Alabama, on June 20 tweeted about the tragedy. “Yesterday’s accident was the worst I have witnessed in my 25 years in law enforcement,” he wrote. “My deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of all those touched by this tragedy. Please continue to pray for all those involved.” The NTSB, in coordination with the Alabama Highway Patrol, sent 10 investigators to conduct a safety investigation of the crash, according to a June 20 statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) has voiced opposition to the truck-parking ban proposed by the city of Minneapolis, which will be heard by the Transportation and Public Works Committee Tuesday, June 23. If approved, this ban would force truck drivers to park outside of the city, which would impede on-time deliveries and disrupt daily commerce. Truck parking is already banned in residential areas of the city. “The city is pursuing this action at a time when there is a serious shortage of safe parking options for trucks in the Twin Cities and across the state,” said MTA President John Hausladen in a statement released June 21. “Every day, professional truck drivers deliver essential food, medicine, products, materials and supplies to our communities and local businesses. Throughout the worst days of the pandemic, truck drivers played a critical role in supporting our supply chains that continue to be stretched to their limits.” Hausladen noted that many of the trucks parked overnight within the city limits are owned by owner-operators who are residents of Minneapolis. “These small businesses, many of whom are minority-owned, would have no viable alternative for overnight parking. This ban could effectively force many of these hard-working residents to choose between their livelihood and the place they call home,” he stated. This is not the first time the city is considering banning truck parking, according to MTA. In 2019, the Minneapolis City Council heard a proposal of a similar nature; however, the proposal did not make it to a vote. According to MTA, 96.5% of manufactured tonnage is transported by trucks in Minnesota, and there are 21,560 trucking companies in Minnesota. Within those companies, there are 35,150 jobs for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. “We should be looking for ways to provide more safe parking for truck drivers, instead of pursuing a policy that would diminish an essential industry and do real economic harm to the city,” he said. “We call on the Minneapolis City Council to craft a fundamentally fair policy that balances parking management concerns with the essential services truck drivers provide. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Minneapolis leaders to develop a smart solution,” Hausladen concluded.

CHARLESTON, S.C. –– A South Carolina man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and health care fraud schemes, according to Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett Dehart. Cameron Banks, aka “Reggie Staggers” and “Roy Hamilton,” 36, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, operated several fraudulent schemes, including submitting falsified requests to the U.S. Department of Transportation in order to operate commercial vehicles and operating a fraudulent truck-leasing scheme. Evidence presented to the court established that Banks began these schemes in 2013, when he submitted a falsified loan application to obtain a 2014 Bentley Sedan for $212,034. Next, while employed by a dentist, Dr. Cornelius Beck, Banks ran a loan program in which he stole Beck’s identity and submitted falsified loan applications on behalf of patients to obtain dental work. To obtain these loans, Banks created fraudulent loan documents using Beck’s forged signature. While the funds were supposed to be used for dental procedures, few people received any dental work; instead, Banks transferred most of the funds into his personal bank accounts for his own use. Further evidence outlined another fraudulent scheme, beginning in 2015 and continuing into 2018, in which Banks submitted requests to the U.S. Department of Transportation to receive numbers to operate commercial vehicles. The requests contained false information and withheld information Banks was required to disclose, namely his relationship with other entities licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), to avoid out-of-service orders that FMCSA placed on DOT numbers he operated. On each occasion, Banks failed to disclose any relationship with other entities licensed by FMCSA during the previous three years while knowing he had applied for and received DOT numbers for three other companies. While Banks was on bond for the frauds outlined above, investigators uncovered a third fraud, in which Banks operated a Ponzi scheme. Investors believed they were investing in the operation of commercial trucking businesses. Under the lease agreements, Banks would provide the truck, the driver, and the insurance; in exchange, investors were promised a majority of the profits. In reality, Banks spent the investment funds on personal expenses including car leases, jewelry and travel. Banks mailed investors checks that represented a portion of the funds to which they were entitled and created false expense documents to explain the lack of profits. There were at least 32 victims of this scheme, many of whom experienced substantial financial hardship after investing their life savings. Banks has prior convictions for forgery, fraudulent checks, bank fraud, financial identity fraud, financial transaction card theft, tax evasion and numerous instances of probation violations. Banks was indicted March 27, 2018. On Aug. 26, 2019, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Charleston, South Carolina, to the falsification of records in federal investigations with intent to impede, obstruct and influence the FMCSA’s process of investigation and proper administration and to mail fraud. On May 25, 2021, U.S. District Judge David Norton sentenced Banks to 108 months (nine years) of imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States DOT’s Office of the Inspector General, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Jason Peavy prosecuted the case.

PHARR, Texas — Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently discovered a load of mixed hard narcotics containing alleged cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin hidden in a commercial shipment arriving from Mexico at the Pharr International Bridge. The narcotics have an estimated value of $6,582,600. On June 14, CBP officers assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor-trailer hauling a commercial shipment of floor tile. During a nonintrusive imaging inspection of the vehicle, officers found packages of suspected narcotics hidden within the shipment. Officers removed 162 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 203 pounds, 40 packages of alleged heroin weighing 47.39 pounds and 31 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 78 pounds. Officers also discovered more than 5,100 assorted pills of alleged fentanyl, oxycodone and methamphetamine. CBP seized the narcotics and the tractor-trailer; the case is under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. “This seizure was accomplished due to great all-around teamwork, beginning with analytical research, use of technology and the endless commitment to the border security mission of keeping dangerous drugs from continuing their trek into our communities,” said Carlos Rodriguez, port director at Hidalgo, Pharr, Anzalduas.

NEW ORLEANS — Three more participants in a Louisiana insurance ring, dubbed Operation Sideswipe, that targeted heavy-duty commercial trucks pleaded guilty this week, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. One of the three is an attorney. On Thursday, June 17, Danny Patrick Keating Jr., 52, a New Orleans-based personal injury attorney, entered a guilty plea to charges of Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown. Keating was one of 33 defendants charged in the federal probe. So far, 22 of the 33 have entered guilty pleas in federal court. According to the guilty plea, Keating admitted to conspiring with Damian Labeaud and others to defraud insurance companies, commercial carriers and trucking companies in by intentionally staging automobile accidents in New Orleans. Labeaud referred “victims” of staged accidents to Keating and other New Orleans personal injury attorneys for a payment of $1,000 per passenger for accidents involving tractor-trailers and $500 per passenger for accidents not involving tractor-trailers. Keating advanced Labeaud thousands of dollars for these accidents and instructed Labeaud that he owed Keating a certain number of accidents based on the amount of money advanced. In one instance, on July 17, 2017, Keating gave Labeaud $15,000 so Labeaud could purchase a $15,000.00 Chase Bank cashier’s check to buy Mario Solomon’s truck. Solomon, a spotter who worked with Labeaud in staging automobile accidents, pleaded guilty in federal court May 28, 2020, and was sentenced Jan. 22, 2021. Then, on Sept. 25, 2017, Keating wrote a $17,000.00 check to himself for “advertising” and used the proceeds to purchase a $17,000 cashier’s check payable to Labeaud. The indictment alleges Keating paid Labeaud another $12,500 during June 2017. Keating admitted he knowingly paid Labeaud for a total of 31 illegally staged tractor-trailer accidents and that he represented 77 plaintiffs involved in the 31 accidents staged by Labeaud; Keating settled 17 of the 31 staged accidents. The indictment charged that Keating and his clients received approximately $1,500,000 in settlements resulting from the staged accidents, and that Keating kept approximately $358,000 in attorney’s fees. Keating also admitted he filed lawsuits in state and federal court in Louisiana on behalf of his clients who were involved in the staged accidents. The lawsuits fraudulently alleged who was driving the vehicles, misrepresented who was at fault in the staged accidents, and falsely claimed injuries. Keating used the U.S Postal Service to mail settlement demands on behalf of his clients who were involved in staged accidents from the Eastern District of Louisiana to various out-of-state locations. In many cases, Keating’s clients provided false testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with lawsuits he filed. Keating faces a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. He also faces a term of supervised release up to 3 years after his release from prison. Sentencing is scheduled for January. Two other participants in the ring pleaded guilty Wednesday, June 16, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance. Doniesha Gibson, 29, of New Orleans, and Erica Lee Thompson, 46, of Harvey, Louisiana, entered guilty pleas to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in relation to staged automobile accidents in New Orleans. According to the guilty pleas, Gibson and Thompson, along with their co-conspirators and others — beginning in about 2015 and continuing through the present — conspired to commit wire fraud in connection with staged accidents with Cornelius Garrison. Gibson admitted to being a passenger in a staged accident on Oct. 15, 2015. On that day, Garrison intentionally drove a 2014 Dodge Avenger owned by Gibson into a Hotard bus while traveling on I-10 near the I- 510 flyover. Gibson then retained an attorney and made a claim for damages. The total settlement for the Hotard bus accident was approximately $677,500. Thompson admitted that on Sept. 6, 2017, near the Almonaster exit on I-10, she was a passenger in a 2015 RAV4, owned by Thompson and driven by Garrison, when he intentionally crashed into a tractor-trailer owned by Averitt Express. Thompson retained counsel and made a claim for damages. The total settlement for the Averitt accident was $30,000. In total, the victim trucking, bus and insurance companies paid approximately $707,500 for the two fraudulent claims. Gibson and Thompson each face a maximum sentence of five years of incarceration. Upon release from prison, each also faces a term of supervised release of up to three years, and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to each defendant or twice the gross loss to any person. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2021.

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, June 16, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi visited the Port of New York & New Jersey to discuss ongoing supply chain disruptions after the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for infrastructure investments. The visit is part of the Biden administration’s approach to addressing supply chain disruptions. On June 8, the administration launched the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to address near-term supply/demand mismatches. “The pandemic has presented unprecedented economic challenges including supply chain disruption,” Joshi said. “It’s vitally important as a nation that we address these challenges using the tools at our disposal to minimize the impacts on workers, consumers, and businesses and bolster a strong economic recovery. Today’s visit is critical in learning directly from port leaders and motor carriers about how we can help alleviate supply chain challenges while ensuring our roadways, including the ports, remain safe for truck drivers and all road users.” Joshi met with leaders from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Maher Terminals, the New Jersey Motor Truck Association and the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers to discuss prioritizing truck safety and current supply chain challenges including trucking capacity, the historical increase in cargo volume, road congestion and delays related to the return of empty containers, as well the generational investment the American Jobs Plan provides, $17 billion investments for ports. “The Port Authority looks forward to working with FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi on key issues facing our seaport, our maritime stakeholders, and the national logistics and distribution industry to ensure that the supply chain remains strong and fluid,” said Sam Ruda, port director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “Our seaport, which is the largest on the East Coast, is a critical part of the nation’s economic recovery as a major job creator and gateway of nearly all goods, supplies and commerce to the New York-New Jersey region as well as to the Northeast, parts of the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic states,” Ruda continued. “We share the Biden administration’s goals of improving the nation’s infrastructure whether by road, rail or sea.” Lisa Yakomin, president of the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers, noted that the intermodal trucking industry has unique concerns. “(We) appreciated the opportunity to meet with Administrator Joshi and share information with her on issues of concern to the truckers who move freight at the largest port on the Eastern seaboard,” Yakomin said. “We look forward to continuing the dialogue with Administrator Joshi in order to tackle the unique challenges facing the intermodal trucking community at the Port of NY/NJ and working together to support supply chain efficiency and fluidity nationwide.” The Department of Transportation, along with other agencies that are part of the task force, will be holding meetings with stakeholders this month to diagnose problems and surface solutions — large and small, public or private — in an attempt to help alleviate near-term transitory bottlenecks and supply constraints, according to a DOT statement.