Witness Murdered In Semi Crash Staging Scheme

Witness Murdered In Semi Crash Staging Scheme

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced on May 7, 2024, the indictment of Ryan Harris (35) and Jovanna Gardner (39) in connection with the September 22, 2020, murder of Cornelius Garrison.

Garrison, who had previously been charged in relation to a widespread scheme involving staged collisions with commercial vehicles in the New Orleans area, was reportedly cooperating with federal authorities at the time of his death.

The investigation alleges that Harris, Gardner, and Garrison were all participants in the scheme, which involved intentionally causing crashes with semi-trucks and subsequently filing fraudulent insurance claims and lawsuits.

The indictment details Harris' alleged role as a "slammer," an individual who would deliberately collide with a semi-truck and then flee the scene. Garrison, according to the indictment, served a dual purpose as both a "slammer" and a "spotter," the latter acting as a getaway driver and potentially fabricating witness testimonies to place blame on the truck driver.