NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A former paralegal testified Wednesday that an attorney at his law firm handed him an envelope he believed was full of cash to deliver to a man suspected of organizing staged vehicle crashes.
Todd Smith, who worked at the King Law Firm, took the stand in federal court in New Orleans in a trial involving allegations that attorneys, law firms, and co-conspirators worked with “slammers” — individuals prosecutors say intentionally crashed into 18-wheelers to collect large insurance payouts.
Testimony centers on cash envelope, fear of suspect
Smith testified that attorney Jason Giles gave him the envelope to pass on to Damian Lebeaud, a man suspected of staging crashes. Smith said Lebeaud “came off as a thug.”
“He came off as a bully,” Smith said. “I was scared of that guy.”…