Defendant Pleads Guilty in Staged Automobile Collision Scheme | USAO-EDLA

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Lawyer Duane A. Evans introduced today that ASHLEY McGOWAN (“McGOWAN”), age 35, agreed to plead responsible on March 31, 2022 to Rely One particular (1) in her indictment, charging Conspiracy to Dedicate Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Part 371.  In trade, the govt has agreed to dismiss Depend Two (2), charging Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 2.  In pleading guilty to Count 1, the defendant faces a optimum penalty of 5 (5) years’ imprisonment a phrase of supervised release of up to 3 (3) many years a fantastic up to $250,000.00, or the increased of 2 times the gross attain to the defendant or 2 times the gross reduction to any man or woman beneath Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571 and a mandatory exclusive evaluation fee of $100.00. Today’s guilty plea brings the complete selection of defendants convicted in “Operation Sideswipe” to 30-three (33).

As section of her plea, McGOWAN admitted to currently being in a conspiracy to dedicate mail fraud in connection with a staged vehicle collision.  In the scheme, McGOWAN falsely claimed that she was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a tractor-trailer on June 8, 2016. In truth, the government’s proof confirmed that the defendants conspired with Damien Labeaud (“Labeaud”), Keishira Robinson (“K. Robinson”), and many others to deliberately collide K. Robinson’s Mazda with a tractor-trailer in the region of Chickasaw Road and Louisa Avenue in New Orleans.  McGOWAN later lied in her civil deposition, falsely boasting that K. Robinson was driving the car that collided with the tractor-trailer, when in actuality Labeaud was driving the car or truck and intentionally strike the tractor-trailer.  McGOWAN also falsely claimed that she was in the car at the time of the collision, even however she had been riding in a independent “spotter” or getaway car and entered the “slammer” car only after the collision transpired.  McGOWAN hoped that, through her phony statements, she would protected valuable monetary settlements from the owner, driver, and insurance provider of the tractor-trailer. 

Sentencing in this make any difference is scheduled for June 14, 2022, in advance of United States District Choose Sarah S. Vance.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to admit the guidance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana Condition Law enforcement, and the Metropolitan Criminal offense Commission with this subject. The prosecution of this scenario is getting managed by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Brandon S. Very long Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Monetary Crimes Device Assistant U.S. Lawyer Maria M. Carboni and Assistant U.S. Lawyer Edward Rivera.

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