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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GENETTA ISREAL (“ISREAL”), age 53, of Houston, Texas, pled guilty on Monday to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.  Thus far, twenty-six (26) of the thirty-three (33) indicted defendants have tendered guilty pleas in federal court.

Damien Labeaud, Mario Solomon, Larry Williams, and ISREAL were charged with staging an accident on June 12, 2017, occurring on Chef Menteur Highway near the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans. Labeaud and Larry Williams planned to stage an automobile accident to obtain money through fraud. During their planning, Labeaud told Larry Williams that he had an Attorney who would handle everything. Larry Williams recruited ISREAL and another individual (now deceased) to participate in the fraudulent scheme. To execute the scheme, Larry Williams borrowed a Chevrolet Trailblazer, and that Labeaud drove the Trailblazer, which he then used to collide with a 2015 Peterbilt tractor-trailer. After the staged accident, Labeaud fled the scene and Larry Williams got behind the wheel to make it appear that he was driving the Trailblazer during the staged accident. Solomon picked up Labeaud after the staged accident. Larry Williams told the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) that he was the driver of the Trailblazer and that the tractor-trailer was at fault. After the staged accident, Labeaud introduced Larry Williams and ISREAL to Attorney A.

Larry Williams and ISREAL were treated by doctors and healthcare providers at the direction of Attorney A. On June 12, 2018, Attorney A’s firm filed the Larry Williams Lawsuit in Civil District Court (“CDC”) for the Parish of Orleans and on September 14, 2018, Attorney A’s firm demanded approximately $60,000.00 in settlement for the deceased passenger and approximately $56,155.00 in settlement for ISREAL. After the suit was filed, Larry Williams and ISREAL each provided false testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with the lawsuit filed by Attorney A’s firm.

ISREAL faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571, up to three (3) years of supervised release and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.  Sentencing will occur before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on November 4, 2021.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera; Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.