Split verdict in New Orleans murder trial tied to staged-wrecks scheme

Sean Alfortish and Leon Parker convicted on some counts but not murder charges linked to insurance fraud plot

A federal jury in New Orleans on Thursday returned a split verdict after more than 30 hours of deliberations in a three-week-long blockbuster fraud and murder trial that garnered headlines far beyond Louisiana.

Jurors deadlocked on murder charges Sean Alfortish and Leon “Chunky” Parker faced, leading US district judge Wendy Vitter to declare a mistrial as prosecutors vowed to try the case on those counts again.

“Today’s verdict is an important step towards justice,” US attorney David Courcelle of the eastern district of Louisiana said at a Thursday press conference. “Alfortish and Parker exploited the courts to benefit themselves and confederates.”

Alfortish was found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. He was found not guilty of another count of obstruction of justice and subornation of perjury.

Jurors were not able to reach verdicts on charges Alfortish and Parker faced of conspiracy to commit witness tampering through murder, witness tampering through murder, conspiracy to retaliate against a witness through murder, retaliation against a witness through murder and causing death through use of a firearm.

That means the jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict.

Vitter declared a mistrial on the five murder-related counts against Alfortish and Parker.

Alfortish faces 90 years in prison. Parker, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud, faces up to 60 years.

Dubbed “Operation Sideswipe”, more than 63 people have previously been convicted in the massive scheme that involved so-called “slammers” who would get into accidents with 18-wheelers to file fraudulent insurance claims.

The unresolved charges center on the killing of Cornelius Garrison, who prosecutors said was cooperating with the FBI in its investigation into the staged-crash scheme.

Prosecutors accused Alfortish and Parker of conspiring to kill Garrison in the front door of his mother’s home after learning he was talking to federal investigators. Prosecutors also alleged Alfortish paid Parker to carry out the killing.

“They brought every resource of the federal government that they could bring. They brought five assistant US attorneys on to the case. They had a phalanx of FBI agents. They tried in every way possible to convict Sean Alfortish of murdering a federal informant. And the jury did not find in their favor,” Shaune Clarke, Alforitsh’s attorney, told reporters after the verdict.

“They couldn’t prove it this time. And they’re not going to be able to prove it the next time because it isn’t true. It didn’t happen.”

“We’re appreciative of the jury refusing to convict on this evidence, which we think was an appropriate decision, and I’ll leave it at that,” Stephen Haedicke, Parker’s attorney, said on the courthouse steps.