Stuntwoman-turned-attorney accused of staging car crashes to file fraudulent insurance claims

A New Orleans stuntwoman-turned-lawyer staged car crashes to file fraudulent insurance claims, the US Department of Justice alleged.

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Vanessa Motta, 43, is one of eight people indicted in the scheme in Louisiana. The defendants, who include Motta’s husband and professional drivers, would allegedly intentionally collide with 18-wheelers and flee the scene.

The drivers that crashed into the trucks were called “slammers.” A getaway driver would then help the “slammer” escape, according to prosecutors.

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The “slammer’s” passengers would tell officials they were responsible for operating the vehicle leading up to the car wreck. Other members of the conspiracy would act as witnesses and blame the collisions on the truck drivers.

Motta is accused of filing the fraudulent claims and pleaded not guilty last month, per local news reports.

The woman’s attorney, Sean Toomey, claimed his client was a victim in the alleged scheme.

“If these accidents were in fact staged, my client was also a victim and taken advantage by others,” he told a Louisiana court.

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Motta is also an attorney. She opened her law practice, Motta Law LLC in 2017, her office’s website states. She’s since had her law license suspended and has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, obstructing justice and witness tampering.

As part of her stuntwork, Motta has appeared in Jurassic World, Logan, Furious 7 and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

At some point, the scheme turned deadly, police said. Ryan “Red” Harris, who allegedly participated in the crashes, shot his former crime partner so he wouldn’t give evidence about the crimes, according to police. The man, who died in 2020, had been cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation.

One of the female defendants said she was dating the reported killer at the time, but he threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the alleged murder.

Motta is currently free pending trial on a $250,000 bond.