Gibson man sentenced to probation in tractor

A Gibson man is the latest defendant to be sentenced in connection with a widespread case involving multiple defendants who schemed to defraud a trucking company and their insurers through staged traffic accidents in New Orleans.

Larry Martin Picou, 57, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to pay more than $200,000 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Duane Evans said Picou entered a plea of guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud.

According to court documents, Picou falsely claimed he was a passenger in a car struck by a tractor-trailer on May 11, 2017.

The case file provides a detailed look at how such conspiracies are accomplished, noting that this case was cracked as part of a law enforcement effort dubbed "Operation Sideswipe," which led to more than 50 people being charged altogether, including an attorney. Additional attorneys alleged to have been involved with the conspiracy remain under investigation, in connection with "hundreds" of crashes in the New Orleans area between 2015 and 2017.

"In fact, Picouwith others to intentionally collide with a tractor-trailer in the area of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road in New Orleans," a statement from Evans says. "After the intentional collision, Picou and his other co-conspirators made a false police report, lied in depositions, and filed fraudulent lawsuits falsely claiming that the tractor-trailer was at fault."

Court papers related to the case state that an acquaintance identified as Joseph Brewerton had asked Picou if he was interested in participating in the scheme to make some money and that Picou agreed to do so.

Co-defendants identified as David Brown, Gilda Henderson and Latrell Johnson also agreed, as well as a defendant identified as Damien Labeaud. Authorities called Labeaud a "ringleader" in the case,. He entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in 2020 and will be sentenced in June.

The case built by prosecutors utilized telephone records connected to those allegations.

Between May 9, 2017, and May 11 of that year, court papers say, Labeaud was identified as a "slammer," meaning someone who drove vehicles and intentionally collided with 18-wheeler tractor-trailers in order to stage car accidents. According to phone records, Labeaud also spoke with attorneys and a man named Mario Solomon, identified by prosecutors as a "spotter" who would follow Labeaud in a separate vehicle to help him flee the scene.

"On or about May 11, Brown drove a Ford Expedition to pick up Picou from Gibson," court papers state. "Brown picked up Henderson next and then drove to a parking lot in New Orleans."

It was there that Henderson, Brown, and Picou met Labeaud, Solomon, and Johnson, who were in Solomon\'s Chevy Silverado. In the parking lot, Labeaud got into the driver\'s seat of the Expedition, and Brown moved to the back of the vehicle. Picou and Johnson also rode in the back of the vehicle, while Henderson rode in the front passenger seat. The occupants of the Expedition discussed that after the intentional collision, the passengers would contact the police, with Brown moving to the driver's seat. According to the court papers, the defendants were to tell police they traveled to New Orleans to go shopping, and that they were injured but did not wish to go to the hospital.

At around 10 a.m. on May 11, court papers say, Labeaud intentionally sped up at the location and collided with a 2013 International tractor-trailer owned by B.A.H. Express.

The truck driver was unaware that a collision had occurred so Solomon, posing as a bystander according to court papers, "falsely alleged that the tractor-trailer had struck a vehicle … New Orleans Police Department body camera footage showed that Brown informed officers he had been driving the Expedition and that the tractor-trailer had caused the collision."

Lawsuits were filed a year later resulting in settlements – including one paid to Picou.

The Piciou settlement check was mailed to him by the truck company's insurance company, federal court records state, which is why the mail fraud statute was employed for prosecution.

The FBI conducted the investigation into the cases with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission. Prosecutors said evidence making their case included witness statements, phone records, text messages, police reports and information in civil lawsuit filings, in addition to the NOPD body cam footage.

• A Houma man, Troy Smith, 58, was sentenced on March 8 for conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with the operation, drawing a six-month sentence.

• Marvel Francois, 54, of Houma, La., was sentenced to five years probation for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, 100 hours of community service, payment of restitution in the amount of $20,654.48, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for a staged accident in 2020. • Bernell Gale, 46, of Raceland and Tanya Givens, 45, of Gibson were sentenced for conspiracy to commit mail fraud for staged accidents with tractor-trailers in connection with the related investigations. Givens was sentenced to 60 months of probation, restitution in the amount of $363,970 and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Gale was sentenced to 36 months of probation and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.