Two More New Orleans Area Defendants Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile Collisions in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking Companies

US Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Louisiana, May 26, 2022

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on May 25, 2022 DONIESHA GIBSON (“GIBSON”), age 31, of New Orleans, Louisiana and ERICA LEE THOMPSON (“ERICA LEE”), age 47, of Harvey, Louisiana, were sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile collisions with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans.

According to documents filed in federal court, GIBSON and ERICA LEE, along with their co-conspirators and others, beginning in approximately as early as 2015 and continuing through the present, conspired to commit wire fraud in connection with staged accidents, including two that occurred on October 15, 2015,  and September 6, 2017.  Thus far, the total number of defendants convicted in “Operation Sideswipe” is thirty-seven (37).

GIBSON admitted to being a passenger in a staged accident on October 15, 2015.   On that day, her former co-defendant intentionally drove a 2014 Dodge Avenger owned by GIBSON into a Hotard bus while traveling on the I-10 near the flyover of the I-510.   GIBSON retained an attorney and thereafter made a claim for damages. The total settlement for the Hotard bus accident was approximately $677,500.00.

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