US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, Mar. 31, 2023
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on March 29, 2023, U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced TROYLYNN BROWN (“BROWN”), age 35, after she pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Judge Vance sentenced BROWN to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Vance also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, BROWN admitted to conspiring to commit mail fraud in connection with a staged automobile collision. In the scheme, BROWN falsely claimed that her codefendant, Herbert Allen (“Allen”), was the driver of a car that was struck by a tractor-trailer on June 28, 2017. In reality, the defendants conspired with Damien Labeaud (“Labeaud”), Roderick Hickman (“Hickman”), and others to intentionally collide Allen’s 2007 Chevrolet Impala with a tractor-trailer in the area of Tchoupitoulas Street and Calliope Street in New Orleans. BROWN subsequently lied in a civil deposition, falsely claiming that Allen was driving the car that collided with the tractor-trailer when, in fact, Hickman was driving the car and intentionally hit the tractor-trailer. Through her false statements and deception, BROWN secured a $70,000 monetary settlement from the owner and insurer of the tractor-trailer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon S. Long, Maria M. Carboni, and Edward Rivera, members all of the Financial Crimes Unit and Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.