Harvey Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Stage Automobile Accident in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking Companies | USAO-EDLA

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans introduced currently that DONISESHA LEE (“DONISHA LEE”), age 30, of Harvey, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty now to Conspiracy to Dedicate Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Portion 371, before United States District Court Decide Sarah S. Vance arising out of a staged automobile incident with a tractor-trailer developing in New Orleans.

According to today’s responsible plea, DONISHA LEE, along with her co-defendants, Dewayne Coleman (“Coleman”), Erica Lee Thompson (“Erica Lee”), Aisha Thompson (“Thompson”), Passenger A, and Donreion Lee, conspired to dedicate mail fraud in relationship with a staged accident with their former co-defendant, developing on September 6, 2017.  Today’s responsible plea provides the overall number of defendants convicted in “Operation Sideswipe” to thirty (30).

DONISHA LEE admitted that on September 6, 2017, on the I-10 in close proximity to the Almonaster exit, she was a passenger in Erica Lee’s 2015 RAV4 currently being driven by their former co-defendant, when he intentionally crashed into a tractor-trailer owned by Averitt Convey.  After the staged incident, the driver exited the RAV4 and instructed Erica Lee to get behind the wheel of the RAV4 to make it look that Erica Lee was driving the vehicle at the time of the staged incident.  The defendants contacted the NOPD and falsely claimed that Erica Lee was the driver at the time of the collision.  Passenger A falsely claimed to the NOPD that she was Thompson.

Roughly just one or two times following the staged accident, Coleman, DONISHA LEE, Donreion Lee, Erica Lee, and Thompson went to an attorney’s workplace for the function of collecting funds from the insurance and trucking company.  Coleman, DONISHA LEE, Donreion Lee, Erica Lee, and Thompson sought professional medical cure from health professionals and healthcare vendors.  Thompson was dealt with even with not getting in the RAV4 at the time of the staged incident. DONISHA LEE retained counsel and built a assert for damages.  The complete settlement for the Averitt accident was roughly $30,000.

On March 26, 2019, DONISHA LEE, Coleman, and Donreion Lee each individual offered untrue testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with the Thompson Lawsuit.  On April 9, 2019, Thompson supplied phony testimony in a deposition taken in conjunction with the Thompson Lawsuit.  In these depositions, DONISHA LEE, Coleman, Donreion Lee, and Thompson lied about the September 6, 2017 incident including, but not confined to, who was driving the RAV4 and the extent of their accidents.

DONISHA LEE experience a highest sentence of 5 (5) decades of incarceration.  Upon release from prison, DONISHA LEE also faces a term of supervised release up to (3) three years, and/or a fine of $250,000 or the increased of 2 times the gross get to just about every defendant or twice the gross decline to any man or woman under Title 18, United States Code, Area 371.  Also, DONISHA LEE ought to pay back a $100 necessary unique evaluation fee at sentencing.  United States District Choose Sarah S. Vance scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 27, 2022.

The U.S. Attorney’s Business would also like to accept the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Law enforcement, and the Metropolitan Criminal offense Commission with this subject. The prosecution of this situation is remaining managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Main of the Fiscal Crimes Unit Assistant U.S. Lawyer Edward J. Rivera Assistant U.S. Legal professional Maria Carboni and Assistant U.S. Lawyer Brandon Lengthy.