A Louisiana woman pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud arising out of a staged automobile accident with a tractor-trailer occurring in New Orleans, making her the 30th guilty plea in “Operation Sideswipe.”
Donisha Lee, age 30, admitted that on Sept. 6, 2017, on the I-10 near the Almonaster exit, she was a passenger in Erica Lee’s 2015 RAV4 being driven by their former co-defendant, when he intentionally crashedinto a tractor-trailer owned by Averitt Express.
After the staged accident, the driver exited the RAV4 and told Erica Lee to get behind the wheel of the RAV4 to make it appear that Erica Lee was driving the vehicle at the time of the staged accident.
The defendants contacted the New Orleans Police Department and falsely claimed that Erica Lee was the driver at the time of the collision. Passenger A falsely claimed to the NOPD that she was Thompson.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately one or two days after the staged accident, Coleman, Donisha Lee, Donreion Lee, Erica Lee and Thompson went to an attorney’s office for the purpose of collecting money from the insurance and trucking company.
Coleman, Donisha Lee, Donreion Lee, Erica Lee and Thompson sought medical treatment from doctors and healthcare providers. Thompson was treated despite not being in the RAV4 at the time of the staged accident. Donisha Lee retained counsel and made a claim for damages. The total settlement for the Averitt accident was approximately $30,000.
On March 26, 2019, Donisha Lee , Coleman and Donreion Lee each provided false testimony in depositions taken in conjunction with the Thompson Lawsuit.
On April 9, 2019, Thompson provided false testimony in a deposition taken in conjunction with the Thompson Lawsuit.
In these depositions, Donisha Lee, Coleman, Donreion Lee,and Thompson lied about the Sept. 6, 2017 accident including, but not limited to, who was driving the RAV4 and the extent of their injuries.
Donisha Lee faces a maximum sentence of five years of incarceration. Upon release from prison, Lee faces a term of supervised release up to three years, and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to each defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. Also, Lee must pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee at sentencing. United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 27, 2022.
Coleman previously pleaded guilty in August 2021 to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud. Coleman faces a maximum sentence of five years of incarceration. Upon release from prison, Coleman faces a term of supervised release up to three years, and/or a fine of $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, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
In September 2021, seven more defendants were charged in the federal probe, bringing the total number of defendants to 40.
Last January, a New Orleans man who served as a spotter in at least two staged car accidents was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.
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