A federal judge has denied Vanessa Motta’s request for a new trial, marking another development in the long-running federal investigation into Louisiana’s staged truck accident fraud scheme known as Operation Sideswipe.
Motta, a New Orleans attorney, was convicted in March alongside attorney Jason Giles, who prosecutors identified as one of the scheme’s principal organizers. The The King Law Firm, where Giles worked, was also convicted, while co-defendant Daiminike Stalbert was found guilty on lesser charges.
Following her conviction, Motta asked Wendy Vitter for a new trial, arguing that several legal errors had affected the proceedings. Last week, Judge Vitter rejected every argument presented in the motion.
The ruling comes as another closely related case moves toward trial. Barring any further developments, Sean Alfortish and Leon Parker are scheduled to stand trial on August 10 over the killing of Cornelius Garrison, a cooperating witness in the federal investigation.
Garrison pleaded guilty for his role in the staged accident scheme before agreeing to assist federal investigators. He was fatally shot in September 2020, and prosecutors allege Alfortish and Parker were involved in the killing.
Although Motta had a personal relationship with Alfortish during much of the alleged fraud scheme, she has never been charged in connection with Garrison’s murder.
However, the homicide became part of Motta’s request for a new trial. Her legal team argued that federal prosecutors had threatened to introduce evidence suggesting her involvement in, or knowledge of, Garrison’s death if certain defense strategies were pursued, including if Motta testified in her own defense.
In denying the request, Judge Vitter stated that prosecutors had previously confirmed they would not introduce evidence related to the murder unless the defense itself “opened the door” to the issue during trial.
The judge also noted that while Garrison’s death was mentioned during the proceedings, the jury received clear instructions that none of the defendants on trial were charged with murder and that the homicide should not be considered as evidence when evaluating the fraud charges.
Motta’s remaining arguments for a new trial challenged several aspects of the proceedings, including jury instructions related to witness tampering, statements made during Jason Giles’ closing argument, the amount of time allocated to federal prosecutors during closing arguments and an alleged unresolved legal issue before the case was submitted to the jury. Judge Vitter rejected each of those claims.
The legal proceedings surrounding Operation Sideswipe continue on several fronts. Sentencing for both Motta and Giles, originally expected in July, is currently scheduled for September 8, although another motion seeking a postponement has already been filed and could result in an additional delay.
Preparations are also underway for the upcoming Alfortish-Parker murder trial. Court documents indicate jury selection will include questions about prospective jurors’ connections to industries such as trucking, transportation, insurance, accounting, banking, law enforcement, legal services and small businesses. The trial is expected to last approximately three weeks.
Separately, attorney Danny Keating, who pleaded guilty in June 2021 for helping arrange several staged crashes, has once again had his sentencing postponed. Originally scheduled for August, the hearing has now been moved to October 8, continuing a series of delays that has stretched on for more than five years.
Meanwhile, Damian Labeaud, who admitted participating directly in several staged collisions, remains scheduled to be sentenced on August 20, although previous hearings in his case have also been postponed multiple times alongside Keating’s.
