Jason Giles files appeal, seeks acquittal and new trial after federal fraud conviction
WWLTV, By David Hammer, April 6, 2026
Attorney argues evidence was insufficient and trial was tainted by prejudicial testimony, including references to witness murder
NEW ORLEANS — Following his conviction in a multimillion-dollar fraud case involving staged highway accidents, attorney Jason Giles has filed an appeal and is asking a judge to throw out his guilty verdict.
Giles’ law firm, the King Firm, was also found guilty March 20, and now attorneys representing Giles and the firm argue their convictions were not supported by sufficient evidence and should be overturned.
“Even when viewed in the light most favorable to the Government, the evidence fails to establish the essential elements of the charged offenses,” the attorneys wrote in their motion for judgment of acquittal.
Giles was convicted alongside Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-attorney Vanessa Motta in a sweeping federal case involving staged accidents and fraudulent lawsuits — a scheme first exposed in 2019 by former WWL Louisiana investigative reporter Mike Perlstein in our series, “Highway Robbery.”
Key to Giles’ argument are his claims that prosecutors failed to prove he knowingly participated in any staged accident scheme, a necessary ingredient for any conspiracy conviction.
Giles’ attorneys claim no witness testified that Giles knew accidents were staged, no communications or financial records tied him to key figures in the scheme and the government failed to prove any agreement linking him to other alleged conspirators.
At most, his attorneys argue, the evidence showed “association or proximity,” which they say is not enough to support a conviction.
In a separate motion, Giles is also asking for a new trial, arguing the proceedings were unfair and prejudiced the jury. Key to that argument is his contention that he suffered “spillover prejudice” from testimony related to the murder of federal witness Cornelius Garrison. US District Judge Wendy Vitter had prohibited references to Garrison’s murder at trial, but his killing came up several times during testimony.
The motion argues that even though Giles was not charged in Garrison’s murder, references to it during the trial created “overwhelming and improper prejudice” that affected the jury’s decision.
Giles and Motta were convicted following a three-week trial tied to a long-running federal investigation into staged truck crashes in the New Orleans area. Prosecutors said participants would intentionally crash vehicles, then file lawsuits seeking fraudulent settlements.
A third defendant, Diamanike Stalbert, was convicted of lying to federal agents but acquitted on a wire fraud charge.
Giles and Motta were both jailed after the verdict. Vitter has set a hearing on the motions for new trial on April 21. Sentencing is scheduled for July.
A separate federal trial accusing Motta’s fiancé, Sean Alfortish, and Leon “Chunky” Parker in Garrison’s murder is scheduled for August.
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