Car accidents can be a scary experience for everyone involved. While most of us do everything possible to avoid them, a New Orleans car accident lawyer has been intentionally causing them. Coined “ Operation Sideswipe” by U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser, the car injury attorney was involved alongside dozens of other individuals in the alleged scheming of car accidents in the city of New Orleans.
Danny Patrick Keating, the car accident lawyer in New Orleans, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney explains, Keating was charged with staging car accidents involving tractor-trailers in both New Orleans East and Gentilly. The intent of these accidents was to fraud the insurance companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Paying $1,000 Per Staged Accident
Keating reportedly paid $1,000 per staged accident that was schemed. Over the period of time the investigation took place, it was found that Keating made over one million dollars for his role in the car accident scheming. Keating is the first car wreck lawyer Los Angeles to face criminal charges. However, it’s been noted that another auto accident lawyer in Los Angeles may be involved in the investigation and may face charges later on.
Strasser sees this case as a call to action for every car injury attorney to abide by their oath. The initial release of this scheming story was in 2018. Since then, over 30 people have been charged by the Department Of Justice with wire and mail fraud-related charges.
As of right now, over a dozen people have actually pleaded guilty. It’s noted that most pleading guilty were those driving the vehicles or riding in them during the staged accidents. There is no other auto accident lawyer in Los Angeles that has been charged.
Charges Filed By Trucking Company
Apart from the Department Of Justice, Keating was sued by a trucking company for his alleged involvement with the scheme. The trucking company revealed that Keating, alongside two other individuals, staged an accident between an SUV and semi-truck. The intent was to claim the semi was at fault for the accident.
The other two involved in this particular incident, Mario Solomon and Damian Labeaud, have already pleaded guilty to the federal charges against them. They are currently working with the federal prosecutors in their investigation of the accident scheming.
Accident Witness Killed
According to a Los Angeles injury lawyer, the investigation into these staged incidents took a dark turn in late September. It was reported that a man who was charged in the staged accidents was fatally shot. The shooting happened just days after the man was formally charged by a car accident lawyer.
Cornelius Garrison, a 54-year-old resident of Gentilly, was shot in his doorway. This murder sent a shock wave throughout the legal community. Any car wreck lawyer Los Angeles would’ve had their interests piqued with this murder happening right after federal charges were instituted. Since Garrison was cooperating with the investigators, his murder is being treated as that of a potential federal witness.
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