Federal prosecutors are pursuing a sprawling New Orleans case that reads like a courtroom drama — but the allegations are real, and the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Vanessa Motta, a former Hollywood stuntwoman who later became a personal injury attorney in Louisiana, has been charged in connection with an alleged scheme to stage automobile crashes and pursue fraudulent insurance claims, according to an indictment unsealed by the Department of Justice.
Motta pleaded not guilty at her arraignment, Nola.com reported.
## Prosecutors allege staged collisions and fraudulent lawsuits
According to the indictment, Motta, her disbarred attorney fiancé Sean Alfortish, attorney Jason Giles, and several professional drivers allegedly took part in a conspiracy involving staged vehicle collisions in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Prosecutors claim those alleged crashes were then used to submit fraudulent insurance claims. The indictment further alleges that attorneys connected to the scheme filed lawsuits in state and federal courts based on the purported collisions.
Motta and Giles represented plaintiffs in some of those cases, according to the indictment as described in the source material.
The Justice Department also alleges that members of the conspiracy obstructed justice and made material misrepresentations in court to avoid detection by law enforcement and the judiciary.
## Defense says Motta may have been deceived
Motta’s attorney, Sean Toomey, previously told Nola.com: “If these accidents were in fact staged, my client was also a victim and taken advantage by others.”
That statement underscores a central dispute in the case: prosecutors allege a coordinated fraud, while Motta’s defense has suggested she may not have known the crashes were staged.
Motta was released by U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Wells Roby on a $25,000 unsecured bond, according to Nola.com. Giles was reportedly released on a $100,000 bond.
Alfortish remains in custody pending trial, the outlet reported. Prosecutors have alleged he tried to silence Cornelius Garrison, a former participant in the alleged scheme who later cooperated with federal investigators, by offering to pay him or move him to the Bahamas.
## A killing connected to the broader case
The case also includes a darker allegation involving Garrison, who was fatally shot in September 2020, according to Nola.com.
Ryan Harris, described in the source material as one of the alleged “slammers” who crashed vehicles into semitrucks, has been accused of killing Garrison. The source states Harris is the only alleged conspirator charged in connection with Garrison’s death.
No charge over Garrison’s killing is attributed in the source material to Motta, Giles, or Alfortish.
## Motta’s past stunt work draws attention
Motta’s background has made the case especially striking. According to her IMDb profile cited in the source material, she worked as a stunt double on productions including “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Quarry,” “Under the Dome,” “Revolution,” and “Pretty Little Liars.”
The federal indictment alleges that professional driving skills were used as part of the broader crash scheme, though all allegations remain unproven unless established in court.
Nola.com also reported that Motta and Giles had their law licenses temporarily suspended by the Louisiana Supreme Court last month.
The case now moves forward under federal court scrutiny, with prosecutors alleging fraud and obstruction — and defense counsel arguing Motta may have been misled rather than a knowing participant.
