New Orleans Own Personal injury Attorney Pleads Guilty In Connection with Staged Accident Probe | USAO-EDLA

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Lawyer Duane A. Evans introduced currently that DANNY PATRICK KEATING, JR., age 52, of New Orleans, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty today to Conspiracy to Dedicate Mail and Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Portion 371, arising out of staged auto mishaps with tractor-trailers developing in New Orleans prior to Chief United States District Courtroom Choose Nannette Jolivette Brown.

KEATING was the thirty-third (33rd) defendant billed in the Government’s federal probe into the intentional staging of motor automobile mishaps with tractor-trailers and professional vehicles in the metropolitan New Orleans spot.  Consequently much, twenty-3 (23) of the 30-three (33) indicted defendants have tendered responsible pleas in federal courtroom. 

According to today’s responsible plea, KEATING was a individual damage attorney certified to follow legislation in the Condition of Louisiana.  KEATING admitted to conspiring with Damian Labeaud and others to defraud insurance plan providers, commercial carriers, and trucking organizations in a plan involving intentionally staging car mishaps. 

Labeaud referred staged mishaps to KEATING and other New Orleans particular damage lawyers for $1,000.00 for each passenger for accidents involving tractor-trailers and $500.00 for every passenger for accidents not involving tractor-trailers.  KEATING innovative Labeaud countless numbers of bucks for these mishaps and instructed Labeaud that he owed KEATING a sure selection of mishaps dependent on the quantity of funds innovative.  For occasion, on July 17, 2017, KEATING gave Labeaud $15,000.00 so Labeaud could buy a $15,000.00 Chase Bank cashier’s look at to obtain Mario Solomon’s truck.^[1]Furthermore, on September 25, 2017, KEATING wrote a $17,000.00 check out to himself for “advertising” and made use of the proceeds to purchase a $17,000.00 cashier’s test payable to Labeaud.  The Indictment alleges KEATING paid out Labeaud an additional $12,500.00 in checks all through the month of June 2017. 

KEATING admitted he knowingly compensated Labeaud for 30-a person (31) illegally staged tractor-trailer incidents.  KEATING represented seventy-seven (77) plaintiffs associated in the 30-one (31) mishaps staged by Labeaud.  KEATING settled seventeen (17) of the 30-just one (31) staged incidents.  The Indictment billed that KEATING and his shoppers been given around $1,500,000.00 in settlement ensuing from his representation of his consumers included in the staged incidents and that KEATING stored close to $358,000.00 in attorney’s charges.

KEATING admitted he filed lawsuits in point out and federal courtroom in Louisiana on behalf of his clientele who were being included in the staged incidents.  The lawsuits submitted on behalf of the seventy-7 (77) plaintiffs fraudulently alleged who was driving the automobiles, misrepresented who was at fault in the staged incidents, and falsely claimed accidents.  KEATING utilised the U.S Postal Assistance to mail settlement calls for on behalf of his consumers who had been involved in staged incidents from the Japanese District of Louisiana to different out-of-point out destinations.  In many circumstances, clientele of KEATING delivered fake testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with lawsuits filed by KEATING.

KEATING faces a most expression of 5 (5) decades imprisonment, a wonderful of $250,000.00 or two times the gross obtain to the defendant or two times the gross decline to any human being of the offense below Title 18, United States Code, Part 3571.  In addition, KEATING faces a term of supervised release up to three (3) yrs following his launch from prison.  Sentencing in this make any difference is scheduled for January 20, 2021, just before Chief United States District Choose Nannette Jolivette Brown.

“Fraud, regardless of its scope and indicates of orchestration, is a really serious crime. Specifically egregious is fraud dedicated in opposition to the hardworking taxpayer by a member of our lawful local community, said U.S. Lawyer of the Japanese District of Louisiana Duane A. Evans.”  This guilty plea sends a apparent concept that our place of work, alongside with our neighborhood, condition, and federal companions, will go on to vigorously examine and prosecute all this kind of corruption circumstances regardless of status.

“Today’s responsible plea sends a crystal clear information to men and women who pick to engage in fraudulent schemes that grossly impression car and health and fitness insurance policies industries.  They will be held accountable. Mr. Patrick Keating, a regional attorney, took an oath to uphold the United States Constitution and the guidelines of the Point out of Louisiana, but as an alternative, violated those people legislation and his oath in buy to unjustly enrich himself by engaging in a plan which resulted in the submitting of fraudulent car and health-related insurance policy statements,” mentioned Specific Agent in Demand Douglas Williams, Jr. ”I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Business office of Jap District of Louisiana, Louisiana State Law enforcement, and the Metropolitan Crime Fee for their partnership and fantastic do the job attained throughout this investigation.” 

The U.S. Attorney’s Business office would also like to admit the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana Point out Police, and the Metropolitan Criminal offense Fee with this matter. The prosecution of this circumstance is becoming taken care of by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Main of the Money Crimes Device Assistant U.S. Legal professional Edward Rivera Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh and Assistant U.S. Legal professional Maria Carboni.

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