NEW ORLEANS — Two Louisiana residents have pleaded guilty in connection to a scheme to collect insurance money from staged car crashes involving 18-wheelers.
United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced in a news release that Florence Randle, 70, of Gibson, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on Nov. 29 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
In exchange, the government agreed to dismiss four counts of mail fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years, a fine up to $250,000, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, Randle served as an intermediary who recruited and directed passengers to participate in staged automobile collisions with tractor-trailers on May 17, 2017, and June 6, 2017. The passengers in these collisions filed fraudulent lawsuits that falsely claimed that the tractor-trailers were at fault. Randle and her co-conspirators coordinated with others, including “slammer” Damian Labeaud and attorney Patrick Keating to arrange the staged collisions.
On Nov. 28, Joseph Brewton, 56, of Houma, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to one count to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
In exchange for his guilty plea, the government has agreed to dismiss five counts of mail fraud in violation. In pleading guilty, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years, a fine up to $250,000, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, Brewton served as a passenger in a staged automobile collision in August 2015. Thereafter, he recruited family members and friends to participate in staged automobile collisions with tractor-trailers on March 27, 2017 and May 11, 2017. The passengers in these collisions filed fraudulent lawsuits that falsely claimed that the tractor-trailers were at fault.
Through this scheme, Brewton caused a loss of approximately $392,742.77, court documents showed.
Randle’s and Brewton’s pleas brings the total number of defendants convicted in Operation Sideswipe to 42.
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