Two personal injury attorneys, Jason Giles and Vanessa Motta, have been found guilty on all counts related to a brazen fraud scheme that involved staged truck collisions and bogus injury claims.
They were convicted on eight charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, and witness tampering. The jury’s verdict was delivered in a federal courtroom in New Orleans on Friday, March 17, 2026, following more than five hours of deliberation.
The Fraud Scheme
The charges stem from their involvement in a wide-reaching scheme known as “Operation Sideswipe,” which involved staging car crashes with 18-wheelers. Giles and Motta allegedly worked with individuals called “slammers”—people paid to fill cars with passengers and intentionally steer them into trucks on highways. These fraudulent crashes led to increased settlements from civil juries in personal injury lawsuits.
The attorneys were part of a network that created a constant flow of fabricated injury claims to benefit from large settlements. Testimony revealed that the two attorneys were in cahoots with slammers to orchestrate the crashes, which were then used to file lawsuits seeking fraudulent injury claims.
Witnesses and Testimony
Damian Labeaud, a slammer, testified that he was paid $1,000 for each adult passenger involved in a staged crash, implicating both Giles and Motta, along with other attorneys at The King Firm.
Despite acknowledging the scheme, Giles and Motta’s defense attorneys argued that they were unaware of the fraudulent activity, stating that they did not directly engage in the illicit acts but did not call any witnesses to defend their actions.
In addition to Labeaud, another slammer, Ryan Harris, testified about his involvement with Motta, a former Hollywood stuntwoman, and her fiancé, Alfortish, a disbarred attorney. Alfortish, along with Leon “Chunky” Parker, is slated to stand trial for the murder of Cornelius Garrison III, a witness cooperating with the FBI in the investigation.
The Trial and Sentencing
Giles and Motta both face significant prison time following their convictions. Motta broke down in tears as the verdict was read, and Judge Wendy Vitter debated whether to remand them to jail ahead of their sentencing hearings scheduled for July 2026.
Vitter ultimately decided to jail them due to concerns about witness tampering, especially given Motta’s previous violations and her fiancé’s involvement in the murder of a cooperating witness.
Motta‘s sentencing is scheduled for July 7, 2026, while Giles will be sentenced on July 14, 2026. Both attorneys’ law firms were also found guilty of being complicit in the scheme.
Third Defendant’s Verdict
In addition to Giles and Motta, a third defendant, Diaminike Stalbert, was convicted on charges of making false statements to FBI agents. However, the jury acquitted her of the main conspiracy count. Stalbert, a single mother of six, was implicated in recruiting for a fraudulent crash but was granted release until her sentencing on July 31, 2026.
The Fallout from the Scheme
The verdicts have sent shockwaves through the New Orleans legal community, with the case being the first to go to trial from the Operation Sideswipe investigation. Federal prosecutors praised the conviction, noting that these two attorneys had abused their professional positions and violated the public trust. The scheme has now led to about 50 guilty verdicts in total, highlighting the wide reach of this fraud ring.
Defense and Further Legal Implications
Despite the guilty verdict, the defense for Giles and Motta argued that media coverage and the use of immunity deals for other attorneys had prejudiced the case against their clients.
Giles’ attorney questioned why certain lawyers who were implicated did not testify, and Motta’s defense suggested that her actions were influenced by a combination of brain injuries, alcohol, and drug use, which could impair judgment.
Looking Ahead
With Giles and Motta in jail pending sentencing, the case continues to have far-reaching consequences not only for those directly involved but for the broader legal system. The investigation remains active, with further implications for others who may have been involved in the fraudulent scheme.
