A New Orleans stuntwoman-turned-lawyer has landed herself in mounting legal trouble after being indicted on charges related to a fraud case stemming from a staged car crash, authorities said.
Vanessa Motta, 43, is facing federal charges for allegedly participating in a conspiracy with another attorney to represent plaintiffs in a fake crash.
Motta, her fiance, disbarment attorney Sean Alfortish, and several others all participated in a complex conspiracy in which individuals intentionally collided with 18-wheelers and other car accidents around New Orleans. The prosecutor argued that he did. According to reports.
Drivers known as slammers cause crashes and then flee the scene with the help of another getaway driver. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Police say the robber's passenger will claim he was driving the vehicle leading up to the car crash.
Prosecutors said the scheme also included people acting as witnesses who claimed other vehicles were at fault.
Motta is accused of being involved in filing fraudulent claims and lawsuits after the accident, but he pleaded not guilty on Monday. According to Nola.com.
After she and others became aware of the investigation into the scheme, the defendants allegedly committed various acts of obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
In one case, alleged slammer Ryan Harris is accused of killing former co-conspirator Cornelius Garrison to help cover up the crime, authorities said.
Motta was indicted in early December on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Motta, along with fellow lawyer Jason Giles, had his law license suspended in late December following the accusations. Nola.com reported.
She said the much-criticized lawyer previously worked as a stuntwoman on films including Jurassic World, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Logan and Fast & Furious 7. It is said that he was IMDb profile.
Motta boasted about his former Hollywood career when he aired commercials showing that he had performed numerous stunts in an effort to attract law clients.
“A stunt woman became an evil lawyer,'' the narration says. 30 second ad. “If you need legal action, send it.”
Motta's lawyer, Sean Toomey, previously said his client was innocent.
“If these incidents were actually staged, then my client was also a victim and was taken advantage of by others,” he said, according to Nola.com.
