Staged semi-truck accident nets couple 4 years in jail
Lawsuits stemming from the fake crash caused a trucking company and its insurer to pay out $4.7M to cover the fraudulent claims.
It may have taken a few years, but a New Orleans couple has been found guilty of attempting to defraud a trucking company and its insurer by staging a crash with a tractor-trailer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The fraudulent claims associated with the staged accident totaled $4.7 million.
On October 13, 2015, Anthony Robinson arranged for his wife, Audrey Harris, his daughter, Keishira Robinson, and neighbor Jerry Schaffer to go for a ride in his automobile. Arriving on the scene of the soon-to-be accident, Robinson exited his vehicle and allowed Roderick Hickman, who acted as the “slammer” in the staged accident, to take the wheel and collide with a tractor-trailer.
While the accident was taking place, Robinson waited in the car of Damien Labeaud, who was paid $2,000 to serve as the “spotter” during the fraudulent event, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once the collision occurred, Robinson got back into his own vehicle to make it appear that he was driving during the wreck.
Following the event, Robinson and Harris spoke with the attorney that arranged the payments for Labeaud and Hickman to be involved. The lawyer referred the couple to medical providers for treatment, which included chiropractor visits as well as neck and back surgeries. The Eastern District of Louisiana reported both Robinson and Harris were aware that agreeing to more medical treatments would increase the value of their lawsuits.
The trucking company’s insurer paid approximately $1.5 million to settle Robinson’s claim, of which he received around $534,000. Harris received around $675,000 from her claim, which totaled approximately $2.1 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Both parties received loans or advances from the law firms that were representing them.
The couple was sentenced to 48 months in prison and are now liable, along with their co-conspirators, for restitutions in excess of $5 million. The sum includes the total settlement paid by the insurance company and trucking firm as well as attorneys’ fees incurred during civil suits regarding the staged accidents.
Hickman also pleaded guilty for his involvement, while Labeaud admitted guilt for his role in the larger fraud scheme. Additionally, Keishira Robinson pleaded guilty to taking part in the scheme, while Robinson’s neighbor Schaffer received a 30-month sentence for his involvement.
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