Roderick Hickman, Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, Louisiana 2021
A shocking revelation in New Orleans has left authorities stunned as three more individuals plead guilty to conspiring to stage automobile accidents to defraud insurance and trucking companies.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, RODERICK HICKMAN, 49, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, BERNELL GALE, 43, of Raceland, Louisiana, and TROY SMITH, 56, of Houma, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
The scheme involved intentionally colliding with tractor-trailers at specific intersections, with the defendants then fleeing the scene. The passengers involved were referred to attorneys who paid the defendants to stage the accidents.
In some cases, the attorneys knew that the participants were uninjured but referred them to medical providers for treatment to increase the value of subsequent lawsuits. The victim trucking and insurance companies paid out $277,500 for these fraudulent claims.
Hickman, GALE, and SMITH face a maximum sentence of five years. Upon release from prison, they also face a term of supervised release up to three years, and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to each defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for February 10, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk.
The U.S. Attorney's Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter.
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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