Sex, Lies, Murder for Insurance…

From what can only be described as something straight out of a movie, the federal government began it’s prosecution of case against former lovers, family members and other accomplices tangled in a complex web of conspiracy, insurance fraud, arson and murder. Assistant US Attorney, Bill McSherry, broke it down for jurors on Monday exlpaining that the scheme revolved around 3 incidents;  a 2002 arson on a West Bank home, the 2004 murder of Treyor August, and the burning of David Samuel’s, the alleged “king pin” of the scheme, van which was used in the murder.

According to The New Orleans Net, last week prosecutors laid out their allegations of a sister-brother duo heading an insurance fraud scheme that obtained tens of thousands of dollars through multiple conspiracies including a murder-for-hire plot. Just one day after opening arguments, Maria Samuels reached a plea deal agreeing to cooperate against her brother, David Samuels.

“Maria Samuels acknowledged knowing that David Samuels took out a life insurance policy on their cousin with the help of a crooked insurance agent, according to recently unveiled court documents.”

Originally, The New Orleans Net reported that the accused mastermind, David Samuels, took out a life insurance policy on his cousin, Treyor August, in 2003.  With the assistance of a former insurance agent, Stefan Michael James, Samuels filed false documents and listed himself and Jermain Surtain, a known felon, as the beneficiaries of the policy.  Surtain, who had fathered a child with Maria Samuels, was owed money by Treyor August and supposedly sought revenge to rectify the situation.  According to prosecutors, Samuels also took out an auto policy on his Chrysler van and payments were made via check from a small company that was run by Samuels.

As part of the scheme, Samuels supposedly coaxed a former military friend, Charles Moss, into traveling from Detroit to New Orleans in April 2004.  Moss then lured August into the Chrysler van and headed toward a nearby club where Moss allegedly ditched the van as Surtain ambushed August shooting him several times killing him.

Approximately a week later, two masked men torched the van as it sat outside Samuel’s home.  According to prosecutors, suspects Moss and Surtain exchanged several phone calls after the incident.

Apparently, much of the case against David Samuels grew from a separate criminal investigation which involved Surtain and another convicted felon, Kelvin Marshall.  As it turned out, the two ex-convicts were facing major legal troubles as the two were allegedly connected to a  high-profile heist of 177 guns and more than $64,000 from a sporting goods store in Metairie.  Marshall, who was looking for leniency, confessed to authorities the information he knew about the August murder and how he provided the 9mm bullets used in the murder to Surtain who actually later bragged about the ambush. 

Separately, authorities found Samuels was also connected to a 2002 fire which occurred at the home of Damian Landry. Landry, who was supposedly having financial woes, worked with Samuels and the wife of the crooked insurance agent at Volunteers of America, a national non-profit group.  Landry eventually pleaded guilty to the crime and confessed that Samuels assisted in the fire.

In court on Monday, David Samuels who described his cousin as someone who “lived on the edge”, claimed he took out the life insurance policy out on August out of obligation.  He also accused Landry and James of lying as they both had a motive because Samuels supposedly had sexual relationships with their spouses.

However, a turn of events arose when Samuel’s sister, Maria, decided to join Landry and James in cooperating with the prosecution. Maria pleaded guilty to one count of wire and mail fraud, and in return for her cooperation, the government dropped the other charges.  Maria faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The federal case against David Samuels, Charles Moss, and Maria’s former boyfriend, Jermain Surtain was scheduled to resume on Tuesday, January 18th.  The government is alleging their involvement in the insurance fraud schemes involving the 2002 fire incident, the 2004 murder of Treyor August and the burning of David Samuel’s van.