NOLA attorney charged with killing federal witness

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Federal prosecutors have filed fresh murder charges against a disbarred New Orleans attorney at the center of a sprawling vehicle-wrecking scheme, accusing him of orchestrating the death of a key federal witness who was gunned down on his mother's doorstep three years ago.

Sean Alfortish, 57, had already faced wire fraud charges under an indictment filed last year, alleging that he and a group of associates staged vehicle wrecks with big rig trucks for large insurance payouts.

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The new charges filed Friday in the New Orleans-based U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana accuse Alfortish and an alleged associate, Leon "Chunky" Parker, of plotting to kill Cornelius Garrison, a veteran "slammer" who staged those crashes. Garrison allegedly told the FBI before his death that he would funnel his passengers to a group of New Orleans attorneys, including Alfortish, to represent them in bogus lawsuits.

In a brief statement, Alfortish's attorney, Shaun Clarke, called the indictment "unexpected."

"Sean is not guilty and we are preparing his defense," Clarke said.

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