A federal jury in New Orleans reached a split verdict after more than 30 hours of deliberation in a high-profile trial involving fraud and murder charges against Sean Alfortish and Leon “Chunky” Parker. The jury was unable to agree on the murder-related charges, leading U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter to declare a mistrial on five counts related to murder. Prosecutors have said they will retry the case on those charges. Alfortish was found guilty of several fraud and obstruction-related charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. However, he was acquitted of one obstruction of justice charge and a count of subornation of perjury. The jury could not reach a verdict on more serious charges involving conspiracy to commit murder, retaliation against a witness through murder, and causing death with a firearm. These charges were specifically tied to the alleged killing of Cornelius Garrison, a man who prosecutors said was cooperating with the FBI in its investigation into the staged-crash insurance fraud scheme. Alfortish now faces a potential maximum sentence of 90 years in prison, while Parker—already pleading guilty to conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud—could receive up to 60 years. The case, known as “Operation Sideswipe,” has led to over 63 convictions so far, involving individuals who staged truck accidents to file false insurance claims. Prosecutors allege that Alfortish and Parker conspired to kill Garrison after learning he was cooperating with federal investigators. They also claim that Alfortish paid Parker to carry out the killing. U.S. Attorney David Courcelle called the verdict an important step toward justice, stating that Alfortish and Parker had “exploited the courts” to benefit themselves and others involved in the scheme. Alfortish’s attorney, Shaune Clarke, argued that the jury’s inability to convict on the murder charges showed that the prosecution had failed to prove the case. He claimed the alleged murder did not happen and that the prosecution would not be able to prove it in a retrial. Parker’s attorney, Stephen Haedicke, expressed appreciation for the jury’s decision, stating it was appropriate based on the evidence presented.