New Orleans attorneys found guilty in bombshell trial over staged crashes with 18-wheelers

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Personal injury attorneys Jason Giles and Vanessa Motta were found guilty Friday on all counts and ordered jailed ahead of sentencing over a brazen fraud scheme involving hundreds of pre-planned collisions with 18-wheelers and scores of lawsuits they filed pursuing bogus injury claims.

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Giles and Motta were each convicted on eight charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, multiple counts of mail fraud and witness tampering. Each of their law firms were found guilty as well

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But Vitter found that both presented concerns after being convicted of witness tampering. Vitter also said Motta previously violated a condition of her release when she contacted a potential witness. The judge also noted that her fiance Sean Alfortish awaits trial for killing a witness, slammer Cornelius Garrison III, who had cooperated with the FBI before his execution-style slaying in 2020.

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As Vitter left the courtroom for several minutes to render her decision on detaining the two lawyers, Motta’s mother passed out in the front row, dropping to the carpet, as Motta wept nearby.

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Court staff eventually propped her back up. As they did, Motta began to gag, leaning over her chair and heaving into a trash pail for several minutes as a woman held back her hair.

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The guilty verdict came after more than two weeks of testimony in a case that has gripped New Orleans’ legal community. It was the first case to go to trial from a sprawling investigation dubbed “Operation Sideswipe” that has led to about 50 guilty verdicts to date.

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At one point, Motta's mother made a remark to Motta's ex-husband that required a U.S. Marshal's intervention.

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