A former stuntwoman turned lawyer is facing federal charges for allegedly staging a car crash in New Orleans to create fraudulent insurance claims and lawsuits, federal authorities said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Vanessa Motta, 43, her disbarred lawyer fiance Sean Alfortish, and several other “slammers” intentionally collided with an 18-wheeler and left the scene. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that the fugitive professional driver was among eight participants in the conspiracy. For the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Another getaway driver helped flee the scene of the “slammer,” federal authorities wrote. That would argue that the slammer's passenger was operating the vehicle leading up to the car accident. Other co-conspirators will also testify and claim the driver of the 18-wheeler was at fault for the crash, the statement said.
Motta dabbed his eyes in court and pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of fraudulent claims and lawsuits after the crash. Nola.com reported..
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Vanessa Motta, 43, is facing federal charges for allegedly causing a car accident and then filing a fraudulent insurance claim. (MottalawLLC/Instagram)
“If these incidents were in fact staged, then my client was also a victim and was taken advantage of by others,” her attorney Sean Toomey told Nola.com.
Motta opened his own law firm, Motta Law, LLC, in 2017, according to his firm's website.
She, Alfortish, and Jason Giles, the attorney who allegedly represented the plaintiff in the fake New Orleans-area crash, all had their law licenses suspended in December and were charged with mail and wire fraud. He was charged with obstruction and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
The indictment against the attorneys also names a number of other defendants who allegedly participated in or cooperated in the crash: Leon “Chunky” Parker, Diaminke Stalbert, Carl Morgan, Timara Lawrence, Ryan “Red” Harris.
Prosecutors said Harris, one of the “slammer” suspects, shot and killed former accomplice Cornelius Garrison to keep him quiet about the plan, according to Nola.com. Garrison was cooperating with federal investigators before he was killed in September 2020, the newspaper said.
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Before going to court, Motta worked as a stuntwoman on “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'', “Jurassic World'' and many other films, according to her IMDb profile. (MottalawLLC/Instagram)
Giovanna Gardner, who is charged in connection with Mr Garrison's death and has said she had a romantic relationship with Mr Harris, admitted in court that her then-partner killed Mr Garrison and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. The paper reported.
According to Nola.com, Garrison's murder was a major setback in the federal investigation known as Operation Sideswipe, in which 50 people were charged. The only convicted lawyer, Danny Keating Jr., is still awaiting sentencing.
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A car is shown attempting to enter New Orleans on Interstate 10. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Parker and Alfortisch, 57, are the only people currently in prison. Prosecutors said Mr. Alfortish was involved in a months-long plot to silence Mr. Garrison, then killed him with an offer to pay him or transport him to the Bahamas, the paper said. .
Motta was released on $25,000 bond pending trial Monday, and Giles was released on $100,000 secured bond, according to court records. Motta could not be reached for comment.
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According to her IMDb profile, the embattled former stuntwoman worked on films including “Jurassic World,'' “Logan,'' “Fast & Furious 7'' and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.''
Motta's television commercials characterized her as a “lawyer-turned-stuntwoman” and depicted her performing numerous stunts.
