Prosecutors indict 11 more in scheme involving staged crashes with trucks

Federal prosecutors in Louisiana have charged 11 more individuals in a vast criminal conspiracy that aimed to stage car crashes with large trucks to defraud insurance and trucking companies via personal injury lawsuits.

The 11 individuals charged are:

• Roderick Hickman, 49, of Baton Rouge, La.
• Lois Russell, 61, of Gibson, La.
• James Williams, 65, of Gibson, La.
• Tanya Givens, 42, of Gibson, La.
• John Diggs, 59, of Thibodaux, La.
• Henry Randle, 63, of Gibson, La.
• Ryan Wheaten, 52, of Lafayette, La.
• Dakota Diggs, 25, of Fort Smith, Ark.
• Bernell Gale, 43, of Raceland, La.
• Marvel Francois, 56, of Houma, La.,
• Troy Smith, 56, of Houma, La.

The defendants were each charged in a seven-count federal indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and six counts of mail fraud, according to an Aug. 21 news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of five years for the conspiracy charge and 20 years for the mail fraud.

The charges against Hickman, Russell, Williams, Givens and John Diggs stem from an alleged intentional crash with a tractor-trailer on March 27, 2017, at the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road. The indictment alleges Hickman intentionally struck a tractor-trailer and then fled the scene with Damian LaBeaud, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to a previous indictment charging him and seven others with a similar conspiracy.

The indictment also alleges that Hickman and LaBeaud, 48, also of New Orleans, staged at least 100 crashes between 2015 and 2017, and were responsible for recruiting victims who were referred to personal injury attorneys, who then paid Hickman and LaBeaud for the referrals as part of the alleged conspiracy. The attorneys have not been named in either indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Diggs and Wheaton intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer on May 17, 2017, in the area of Calliope Street and U.S. 90 East. LaBeaud was the driver of the vehicle during that crash. Another previously indicted defendant, Mario Solomon, was charged and convicted for picking up LaBeaud from the collision site.

Just 30 minutes later, prosecutors say, LaBeaud participated in another staged crash in the vicinity of Louisa Street and Chickasaw Street.

The participants in the Louisa Street crash were Francois, Gale, Smith and another passenger.

Prosecutors claim Hickman served as both a “slammer” – an individual who drove and intentionally collided with tractor-trailers in order to stage the crashes, and as a “spotter” – someone who would follow in a separate vehicle in order to pick up the slammer after a crash and flee the scene to evade detection.

According to court records, one trucking company paid out a settlement totaling $272,000 to alleged co-conspirators John Diggs, Russell and Williams.

Hickman, Williams, Givens, Randle, Gale, Francois and Smith are all scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 31. Arrest warrants have been issued for Russell Wheaten and John and Dakota Diggs.

LaBeaud pleaded guilty on Aug. 6 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 19.