Injury Lawyer Vanessa Motta Seeks New Trial After Fraud Conviction
Vanessa Motta, a New Orleans personal injury lawyer, has asked for a new trial and filed an appeal. She seeks relief in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Court filings and grounds for a retrial
Motta was convicted on March 20 after a three-week jury trial. Federal jurors found her guilty of wire fraud, conspiracy, obstruction and witness tampering.
Her attorney, Sean Toomey, argues prosecutors made repeated threats. He says they warned they would invoke the 2020 slaying of Cornelius Garrison during trial.
Allegations about threats and evidence
Toomey claims prosecutors reneged on a pretrial pledge not to raise the killing. He says the government threatened to question a witness about Motta’s alleged role.
Defense counsel says prosecutors warned against playing a 2023 audio recording. The recording featured Ryan Harris saying the accidents were not staged.
Co-defendants and trial outcomes
A second attorney, Jason Giles, was convicted on similar counts. A third defendant, Diamanike Stalbert, was acquitted of wire fraud.
Stalbert was convicted of making false statements to federal agents. All three face sentencing overseen by Judge Wendy Vitter.
Sentencing and detention
Federal judges have scheduled sentencing for July. Legal experts say Motta and Giles could face at least ten years in prison.
Judge Vitter ordered both convicted attorneys jailed pending their sentencing hearings.
The alleged scheme
Prosecutors described a yearslong fraud involving staged crashes with 18-wheelers. Drivers known as “slammers” allegedly packed cars and rammed them into big rigs.
Investigators say passengers were then directed to injury attorneys for bogus insurance claims. The scheme produced multiple lawsuits and large payout attempts.
Connections to Cornelius Garrison and other defendants
Cornelius Garrison was a prolific slammer who cooperated with federal agents. He was shot dead at his mother’s Gentilly home in 2020, days after an indictment.
Sean Alfortish, a disbarred attorney and Motta’s former fiance, faces separate trial dates. He is accused of orchestrating the fraud and conspiring to murder Garrison.
Trial testimony and cooperating witnesses
Witnesses included Garrison’s former defense attorney and his FBI handler. Ryan Harris, a slammer protégé, testified and has pleaded guilty in the murder plot.
Defense filings say prosecutors used the threat of murder allegations to limit Motta’s trial strategy. Toomey says that tactic hampered her ability to present evidence.
Appeal and next steps
Motta plans to appeal her convictions to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Her team also asks the trial court to grant a new trial in the interest of justice.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana did not immediately comment. Filmogaz.com will monitor filings and report further developments.
As an injury lawyer, Vanessa Motta pursues a new trial while contesting her fraud conviction in federal court.
