Alleged Triggerman in Murder Tied to Staged Accidents Scheme
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Federal investigators have identified the alleged triggerman in the murder of a government informant who was involved in a conspiracy to cover up a sweeping New Orleans-area scheme to stage crashes with tractor-trailers and file fraudulent lawsuits and medical claims connected with the crashes.
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, one of the participants in the scam — Ryan “Red” Harris — named fellow participant Leon Parker as the man who allegedly shot the informant, Cornelius Garrison, on September 22, 2020. Investigators have said Garrison, who also had faced charges in connection with the staged accidents, was shot 10 times with a 9-millimeter firearm. Harris named Parker as the shooter in a six-page statement filed by prosecutors in January.
While Parker has not yet been formally charged as the triggerman in the murder, according to court documents, Parker told Harris that he murdered Garrison and that another co-conspirator paid him to do it.
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Parker was indicted in December on a series of charges connected with the scheme, known as “Operation Sideswipe.” His criminal history includes charges for first degree murder and burglary that were refused in October 2010. Also, on Nov. 26, Parker was arrested by the Jefferson Parish (La.) Sheriff’s Office on charges related to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
“Parker has demonstrated a yearslong inability to follow rules,” according to court records. “Parker participated in at least three staged collisions and possibly was involved in a fourth staged collision [recently].”
The New Orleans area was the epicenter of the scheme involving staged accidents with tractor-trailers. (Joel Carillet/Getty Images)
Harris and another participant, Jovanna Gardner of Chalmette, La., were indicted in May in connection with the Garrison murder. Both, mentioned in court documents as romantic partners, have since signed plea agreements that require them to cooperate with federal investigators.
Garrison was an alleged ringleader suspected of having staged more than 50 accidents and of receiving more than $150,000 by an unnamed co-conspirator.
According to court documents, in 2020 Harris and three other co-conspirators determined that Garrison’s cooperation with the federal criminal investigation into Operation Sideswipe was becoming “problematic.” Garrison was considered an important FBI witness. As a leader himself in a large number of staged crashes, he knew all the players.
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Harris was told that two other accused conspirators had offered to pay Garrison to not cooperate with investigators, calling him a “rat” and “snitch,” and suggesting that “it would be better if he were dead.”
At one point, one of the alleged co-conspirators offered Garrison $500,000 and a trip to the Bahamas to hide in exchange for ceasing to cooperate with investigators.
That never happened.
Parker was included in a recent indictment that also named two law firms, two individual attorneys and multiple participants on charges that included fraud, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and murder.
The 10-count indictment, unsealed Dec. 9 by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, was the latest development in a yearslong federal investigation into a scheme that dates back as far as 2011. The new round of indictments brought to 63 the total number of individuals who have either been charged or pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the ongoing FBI investigation.
Charged in the recent round of indictments were Ryan Harris, 36, of New Orleans; Sean Alfortish, 57, of New Orleans; Vanessa Motta, 43, of New Orleans; Jason Giles, 45, of New Orleans; Leon Parker, 51, of New Orleans; Diaminike Stalbert, 34, of Metairie; Carl Morgan, 66, of New Orleans; and Timara Lawrence, 34, of New Orleans.
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