Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court in Louisiana to Staged Automobile Collision Scheme, Faces Up to 5 Years

Louisiana – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that Stacie Wheaten (“S. Wheaten”), age 51, of Fairburn, Georgia, pled guilty on July 21, 2022, in a federal court in Louisiana to count one of her indictment, charging Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

In exchange, the government agreed to drop four counts of mail fraud under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 1342. By pleading guilty to Count 1, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

With today’s guilty plea, the total number of defendants convicted in Operation Sideswipe now stands at 38.

According to court documents, S. Wheaten acted as an intermediary, recruiting and directing passengers to participate in staged car accidents with tractor-trailers on May 17, 2017 and June 6, 2017. Passengers in these collisions filed false lawsuits claiming that the tractor-trailers were at fault. S. Wheaten planned the staged collisions with co-conspirators such as “slammer” Damian Labeaud and attorney Patrick Keating.

The Honorable Jane Triche Milazzo scheduled sentencing for October 26, 2022.

The United States Attorney’s Office wishes to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission for their assistance with this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit Brian M. Klebba, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long.