100 Staged Accidents: More Indictments In New Orleans 18-Wheeler Insurance Fraud Investigation

In a major expansion of an already sprawling FBI investigation, a federal grand jury Friday indicted 11 more people on a variety of fraud and conspiracy charges, accusing them of participating in staged accidents with 18-wheelers then filing bogus lawsuits to defraud trucking and insurance companies.

The indictment comes just two weeks after a ringleader in the scheme – Damian Lebeaud – pleaded guilty to orchestrating accidents and acting as a liaison to local attorneys who later filed lawsuits on behalf of people who packed cars that intentionally collided with the trucks.

Labeaud became the seventh defendant to plead guilty in the case.

Despite the late Friday announcement, the new charges were already sending sent shock waves through the legal community of high-profile accident attorneys who advertise heavily to attract clients involved in accidents with 18-wheelers.