Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025:
Man pleads guilty to murder in connection to New Orleans staged accidents
A man involved in the widespread staged-accident fraud scheme targeting trucking companies and their insurers in New Orleans pleaded guilty on Jan. 16 to murder and other charges related to the scheme.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Ryan J. “Red” Harris, 36, of New Orleans, pled guilty to three charges -- conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; wire fraud; and causing death through the use of a firearm.
According to court filings, Harris admitted to acting as a “slammer” in a scheme in which he and his co-conspirators intentionally staged automobile collisions in the New Orleans metropolitan area. As a slammer, he drove automobiles and intentionally collided them with tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles in order to stage collisions.
After the collisions, the slammers fled the scene, and a passenger would falsely claim to have been the driver during the collision. Thereafter, the passengers, who had been recruited to be part of the scheme, would file false insurance claims. Harris then referred these passengers to attorneys, also a part of the scheme, who then filed fraudulent lawsuits on the passengers’ behalf.
Harris also admitted to aiding and abetting in the murder of a cooperating federal witness, Cornelius Garrison. Garrison, also a slammer, had been covertly cooperating with federal agents since October 2019 regarding the staged automobile collision scheme. He was shot outside of his home in New Orleans on Sept. 22, 2020.
As to each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts, Harris faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss to any person; up to three years of supervised release; and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For the murder charge, Harris faces a maximum term of life in prison or death; a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss to any person; up to five years of supervised release; and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Under the plea agreement, Harris and the government agreed to a total of 35 years in prison. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025.
[Related: New Orleans staged accidents: New charges include 'Witness Tampering Through Murder']
Country rapper Colt Ford, Tony Justice headlining MATS concert
Country rapper Colt Ford will open the Friday night concert at the Mid-America Trucking Show, and Tony Justice will headline the event.
The annual Friday night concert at the Mid-America Trucking Show will feature trucker and singer-songwriter Tony Justice, along with country rapper Colt Ford. The concert this year is sponsored by Bennett, Bridgehaul and Ace Doran.
The concert will be held Friday, March 28, at 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall in the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
Opening the concert will be Ford, a trailblazing artist who has redefined the boundaries of country and hip-hop.
Justice, a full-time trucker and country music artist, will headline the event. His performance will feature hits from his acclaimed albums, celebrating the hardworking spirit of America’s trucking community. Hear some selections from his "Greatest Shifts" collection from 2023 in this Overdrive Radio podcast:
“We’re beyond excited to bring back the Friday Concert to MATS and to welcome Tony Justice and Colt Ford to the stage,” said Toby Young, President of MATS. “This event is our way of thanking the trucking community for their unwavering dedication and hard work while providing an opportunity to relax, connect, and enjoy great music.”
The concert is free for all registered MATS attendees, with free tickets available at the booths of Bennett (booth #38801), Bridgehaul (booth #38801), and Ace Doran (booth #38901) on Thursday and Friday. Attendees can register for MATS online.
[Related: MATS VIP contest ongoing through Feb. 27]
Wireless truck charging coming to Port of Long Beach
Wireless electric vehicle charging company InductEV announced Wednesday it will deploy its high-power inductive chargers in partnership with port terminal operator International Transportation Service, LLC (ITS) at the Port of Long Beach.
ITS is the recent recipient of a $3.3 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to demonstrate transformative charging technology solutions to meet the unique needs of medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) electric vehicles (EVs).
The ITS project, titled “Hands-free Charging for Battery Electric Cargo Handling Equipment,” is one of five projects awarded a total of $33 million by the CEC through this competitive solicitation in 2024.
InductEV was selected as a grant project partner by ITS to provide its high-power wireless inductive charging solution to charge five of ITS’ battery-electric cargo handling equipment while they are parked. This represents the company’s first installation at a West Coast port facility following deployment last year at APM Terminals in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey.
“We are proud to partner with the ITS team at the Port of Long Beach to help them realize their vision for a more efficient and environmentally-friendly solution to power their fleet,” said John F. Rizzo, President and CEO, InductEV. “As more port facilities and freight terminals electrify their fleets, we expect to see wireless inductive charging play a leading role in the process.”
InductEV’s wireless charging system works by using inductive charging pads, an in-ground pad that is instantly activated when paired with an under-the-vehicle pad. Current systems provided by InductEV range from 75 kW up to a 450 kW wireless charge. No additional real estate is needed compared to wired conductive chargers, and the hands-free operation improves driver safety, the company said.
Significantly, the company’s solution shifts the charging paradigm from relying solely on time- and energy-intensive overnight wired charging sessions in depots to shorter charging sessions spread throughout the day, which reduces the friction of electrification for both power utilities and fleet operators by maximizing the use of available energy.
