New Orleans woman Chandrika Brown, 30, pleaded guilty today to orchestrating a staged auto crash with a tractor-trailer to scam insurance and trucking companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Brown admitted to her role in a coordinated fraud ring known as “Operation Sideswipe,” which has now netted 29 convictions in one of the city’s most brazen insurance fraud conspiracies.
According to court documents, on October 15, 2015, Brown served as a passenger in a 2014 Dodge Avenger driven by co-defendant Doniesha Gibson, with Ishais Price also in the vehicle. The crash, which supposedly involved a Hotard bus on I-10 near the I-510 flyover, was entirely fabricated. In reality, a co-defendant driver intentionally targeted a commercial vehicle to stage the collision, part of a premeditated scheme to extract fraudulent injury settlements.
After the crash, the actual driver switched seats with Gibson to disguise his role. All occupants, including Brown, falsely told NOPD that the Hotard bus had illegally changed lanes and caused the accident. With fabricated injuries in tow, Brown, Gibson, Price, and the driver each hired attorneys and filed personal injury claims against Hotard’s owner and insurer—claims that triggered the use of the U.S. mail for settlement disbursements, a key element in the mail fraud charge.
The insurer ultimately paid out approximately $677,500 in settlements, funneled through lawyers via U.S. mail—directly supporting the federal mail fraud conspiracy charge under Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Brown’s guilty plea today marks the latest takedown in a years-long federal investigation into organized insurance fraud across Southeast Louisiana.
Now facing up to five years in federal prison, Brown also risks a three-year supervised release term and a fine of up to $250,000—or twice the gross loss to victims, as dictated by federal sentencing guidelines. A mandatory $100 special assessment fee will also be imposed. Sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. Klebba, Edward J. Rivera, Maria Carboni, and Brandon Long—all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Financial Crimes Unit. Twenty-nine down, the feds say, but the investigation remains active.
Related Federal Cases
- Conspirator Maggie Kay Comeaux Sentenced for Prison Bribery Scheme · Michigan
- New Orleans Resident Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Card Scheme · Texas
- TX Woman Pleads Guilty to Ricin Letter Scheme · New York
- Jason Christopher Devillier Sentenced in $474K Bank Fraud Scheme · Louisiana
- Silvia Maria Garcia-Coyado Sentenced for ID Theft Scheme · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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