Own injuries attorney is the newest to plead guilty in New Orleans staged truck crash ring

Authorities announced on Thursday that a New Orleans particular harm legal professional joined dozens of others in pleading responsible to charges linked to a huge-spread plan to phase semi truck crashes in order to defraud trucking and insurance policies companies.

On June 17, 52 yr aged lawyer Danny Patrick Keating Jr., 52, pleaded responsible to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud in U.S. District Court.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Place of work, Keating is the 33rd man or woman billed in a federal investigation into the New Orleans staged truck crash plan. Keating is the 22nd particular person of people 33 indicted to plead responsible.

Authorities say that Keating admitted to conspiring with “ringleader” Damian Labeaud and some others to defraud insurance policy companies, industrial carriers, and trucking companies in a scheme involving deliberately staging vehicle incidents in the metro New Orleans spot.

Keating admitted to paying out Labeaud for 31 staged business vehicle crashes and, as an attorney, represented 77 plaintiffs concerned in people 31 staged crashes. Labeaud referred staged incidents to Keating and other New Orleans own harm attorneys for $1,000.00 per passenger for mishaps involving tractor-trailers and $500.00 for each passenger for incidents not involving tractor-trailers. 

Keating and his clientele reportedly obtained $1,500,000 in settlements from the crashes. Keating held $358,000 of the settlements as attorney’s costs.

By pleading responsible, Keating admitted to filing lawsuits on behalf of his clients that “fraudulently alleged who was driving the cars, misrepresented who was at fault in the staged incidents, and falsely claimed injuries.”

Keating is dealing with up to 5 years in prison to be followed by three several years of supervised launch in addition to a high-quality of $250,000.

“Fraud, irrespective of its scope and suggests of orchestration, is a significant criminal offense. Primarily egregious is fraud fully commited from the hardworking taxpayer by a member of our legal community, explained U.S. Lawyer of the Eastern District of Louisiana Duane A. Evans.”  This responsible plea sends a very clear information that our business, along with our neighborhood, condition, and federal partners, will keep on to vigorously look into and prosecute all these kinds of corruption cases irrespective of position.

“Today’s responsible plea sends a obvious message to folks who select to engage in fraudulent strategies that grossly impression auto and health and fitness insurance industries.  They will be held accountable. Mr. Patrick Keating, a community lawyer, took an oath to uphold the United States Constitution and the rules of the State of Louisiana, but alternatively, violated those regulations and his oath in purchase to unjustly enrich himself by engaging in a plan which resulted in the filing of fraudulent vehicle and clinical insurance plan promises,” said Exclusive Agent in Charge Douglas Williams, Jr. ”I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office environment of Eastern District of Louisiana, Louisiana Point out Police, and the Metropolitan Criminal offense Fee for their partnership and superb perform achieved through this investigation.”