Damian Labaud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Louisiana 2020

New Orleans, Louisiana — A local man has admitted to orchestrating a crash-for-cash racket that targeted tractor-trailers in a brazen bid to bilk insurance and trucking companies. Damian Labaud, 48, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, capping a years-long scheme built on deception, high-speed collisions, and fraudulent lawsuits.

According to court documents, Labaud served as the driver — known in fraud circles as the “slammer” — in multiple staged accidents, including two confirmed crashes on June 6 and June 12, 2017. He deliberately plowed into 18-wheelers, then bolted from the wreckage with the help of a getaway driver, or “spotter,” leaving behind chaos and false claims. The fraud ring pulled in $43,000 through phony injury lawsuits filed by co-conspirators.

Labaud wasn’t working alone. Six of his associates — Mario Solomon, Larry Williams, Lucinda Thomas, Mary Wade, Judy Williams, and Dashontae Young — already pleaded guilty in January and May 2020, admitting their roles in the New Orleans-based scam. Prosecutors say the group operated with precision, timing collisions to maximize payouts while evading immediate detection.

The scheme reached into the legal system. Labaud admitted to staging at least 40 fake crashes with tractor-trailers on behalf of ‘Attorney A,’ a figure who knowingly participated in the fraud. For every passenger Labaud delivered to the attorney after a staged crash, he pocketed $1,000 — paid in advance or shortly after the collision. The two discussed the setups in person and over phone calls and text messages, cementing the conspiracy.

Now facing the consequences, Labaud could spend up to five years behind bars. He also risks a fine of $250,000 or double the financial loss caused — whichever is greater — plus up to three years of supervised release after any prison term. Sentencing is set for November 19, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon.

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, Shirin Hakimzadeh, Edward Rivera, and Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit — sending a clear message: crash-and-scam operations won’t go unpunished on the streets of New Orleans.

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