Latest news with #JessicaLeslie
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Karen Read grand juror to plead guilty to leaking details about federal investigation
Karen Read grand juror to plead guilty to leaking details about federal investigation A Massachusetts woman who served as a grand juror in the federal investigation into the Karen Read murder case is expected to plead guilty to criminal contempt on Tuesday. Jessica Leslie, 34, of Dracut, admitted to leaking information presented to a federal grand jury to unauthorized individuals, including the names of various witnesses, when she was charged in federal court in Boston earlier this month. Federal prosecutors alleged that the leaks occurred between August 2022 and March 2024. Leslie's attorneys were able to reach a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that will result in two years of supervised release. Read, who was under investigation in connection with the murder of her Boston police officer boyfriend, faced no federal charges. Last month, a Norfolk Superior Court jury acquitted her of murder and manslaughter in the death of John O'Keefe. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Grand juror charged with leaking confidential information in Karen Read case
A grand juror in a federal proceeding related to the Karen Read case in suburban Boston has been charged with leaking confidential information about closed-door hearings. Jessica Leslie has already agreed to a plea deal that includes a single-day sentence, for which she will be credited time served, according to court documents, plus two years of probation, court records show. The case was filed on July 11, and she signed the plea deal three days later. Jurors found Read not guilty of all homicide-related charges in the death of her former boyfriend, former Boston cop John O'Keefe, whom prosecutors alleged had been killed in a collision with Read's SUV. Read's defense denied the vehicle ever struck him. Jurors rejected most of the state's case and found her guilty of drunken driving. Read the federal complaint: Federal prosecutors said Leslie leaked details from a May 26, 2022, grand jury proceeding to multiple people -- spilling the names of witnesses who appeared before the panel, details of their testimony and other evidence that was under seal. The recipients of the leaks were not identified in court documents. While the filings do not specifically identify the case Leslie was a grand juror on, a source close to the investigation confirmed to Fox News Digital it was related to Karen Read. Read's first trial on charges of murder, drunken driving manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident ended with a deadlocked jury last year. A second trial cleared her of the most serious charges. She is still facing a wrongful death lawsuit brought by O'Keefe's family. The lawsuit also names two bars Read and O'Keefe were drinking at in the hours before his death – C.F McCarthy's and the Waterfall Bare and Grille, both in Canton. The O'Keefes filed the lawsuit in August 2024, after Read's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury. The court put it on hold until her second trial ended. Read is accused of "knowingly and deliberately" changing her story, concocting "a conspiracy" and publicizing a "false narrative, thereby frustrating Justice for JJ." JJ was O'Keefe's nickname, and the family alleges Read's narrative caused them "aggravated emotional distress." Read's civil lawyers asked a judge to dismiss the case last week.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Juror in Karen Read Case to Plead Guilty to Violating Grand Jury Secrecy
NEED TO KNOW Jessica M. Leslie, 34, will plead guilty to federal criminal contempt for leaking sealed grand jury information, including witness names and testimony, related to the Karen Read case Leslie's plea deal includes a one day prison sentence, deemed served, and 24 months of supervised release The plea news comes shortly after Read's acquittal on murder and manslaughter charges in the death of her boyfriend and Boston police officer John O'KeefeA woman on the grand jury in the high-profile Karen Read case will plead guilty to a federal charge after prosecutors claim she leaked the names of witnesses to the public while that information was under seal. Jessica M. Leslie, 34, was charged on Friday, July 11, with one count of criminal contempt and has agreed to plead guilty to the charge, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a press release. She will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date and a plea hearing has yet to be scheduled. According to the charging document obtained by PEOPLE, Leslie allegedly 'disclosed information presented to the grand jury to unauthorized individuals' between Aug. 11, 2022 and March 4, 2024. That information includes, 'the names of various witnesses appearing before the grand jury and the substance of their testimony and other evidence presented to the grand jury, all while said information was under seal and not subject to disclosure,' the charging document states. While the charging document does not mention Karen Read, sources confirmed to ABC News that the charge is related to that case. According to the plea agreement obtained by PEOPLE, Leslie agreed to a sentence of one day in prison, deemed served, and 24 months of supervised release. The plea news comes nearly a month after Read, 45, was acquitted of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and other related offenses in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe. She was, however, found guilty of operating under the influence. She was accused of killing her boyfriend of two years, who was a Boston police officer, by drunkenly running him over after a night out together in January 2022. After her arrest, Read pleaded not guilty to all charges and staunchly maintained her innocence, saying she was the target of a law enforcement cover-up. Read was originally tried in 2024, but it ended in a mistrial in July of that year after the jury couldn't reach a verdict. She faced her second trial beginning in April 2025. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. After she was acquitted of the most serious charges on June 18, Read addressed her supporters outside the courthouse in Dedham, Mass. 'I would not be standing here without these amazing supporters who have supported me and my team financially and more importantly, emotionally," Read said as the crowd erupted into more cheers and applause, PEOPLE previously reported. She added, "No one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have — and my team." Read the original article on People
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
Massachusetts woman will plead guilty to leaking sealed federal grand jury information
Jessica Leslie, a 34-year-old Massachusetts woman, has agreed to plead guilty after prosecutors accused her of leaking federal grand jury information to unauthorized individuals. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley and Ted Docks, special agent in charged of FBI Boston, announced charges Tuesday against Leslie, who lives in Dracut. While she was a member of a federal grand jury, Leslie allegedly shared sealed information that included the names of various witnesses, the substance of their testimony, and other evidence. Prosecutors did not specify what case the grand jury was called for. Details were not disclosed regarding who Leslie leaked the information to. The information was allegedly leaked between Aug. 11, 2022 and March 4, 2024. Leslie was charged on Friday with one count of criminal contempt. She was facing prison time, supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. Instead, the U.S. Attorney said Leslie agreed to plead guilty and will make an appearance in federal court at a later date. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled. According to court documents, Leslie's plea agreement includes incarceration for one day that is deemed time served. She would not face a fine if the plea is accepted by the judge. Instead, she would be granted 24 months of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment of $100 that must be paid by sentencing. WBZ-TV attempted to reach Leslie's defense attorney for comment. He said he was in the process of speaking to his client and may have a comment in the near future.
