Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Feb. 18, 2022:
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana announced this week seven more indictments in the widespread staged-accident fraud scheme targeting trucking carriers and their insurance companies.
Florence Randle, 70, of Gibson, Louisiana; Stacie Wheaten, 50, of Atlanta; Joseph Brewton, 56, of Houma, Louisiana; David Brown, 50, of Morgan City, Louisiana; Gilda Henderson, 69, of Morgan City; Latrell Johnson, 30, of New Orleans; and Larry Picou, 56, of Gibson, were all charged, bringing the total number of indictments in the case to 47.
All seven individuals were charged in a 10-count federal indictment. They were all charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Brewton was charged in Counts 2-7 with mail fraud. Brown, Henderson, Johnson and Picou were charged in Counts 5 and 6 with mail fraud. Randle and Wheaten were charged in Counts 7 through 10, which charge mail fraud.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years for Count 1 and 20 years for each of the mail fraud counts. Upon their release from prison, each defendant can be placed on a term of supervised release for up to five years and fined up to $250,000 per count. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count is also applicable.
According to court documents, Brewton, Randle and Wheaten served as intermediaries who directed passengers to participate in staged automobile accidents. Brewton allegedly helped to arrange collisions that took place on March 27, 2017 and May 11, 2017. Randle and Wheaten allegedly helped to coordinate collisions on May 17, 2017 and June 5, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Brown, Henderson, Johnson and Picou falsely claimed that they were passengers in a car that was struck by a tractor-trailer on May 11, 2017. In fact, the defendants conspired with Brewton, Damian Labeaud, Mario Solomon, and others to intentionally collide with a tractor-trailer in the area of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road in New Orleans, the indictment alleges.
