Darias Jackson, Shooting, Witness Tampering, Ohio 2019
CINCINNATI - In a shocking turn of events, Darias Jackson, 32, along with his girlfriend Jessica Brown, 31, and brother Gregory Jackson, 45, pleaded guilty to crimes related to a September 2019 shooting and a conspiracy to bribe the shooting victim to recant his identification of the shooter. The disturbing incident occurred outside an apartment complex in Cincinnati, where a man was shot several times and left for dead.
According to the plea agreement, the victim identified Darias Jackson as the person who had shot him, which was corroborated by a video taken moments before the shooting. The footage showed a heated argument between Jackson and the victim at the scene of the crime.
Jackson, a convicted felon, was on federal supervised release at the time of the shooting. This led to charges being filed against him by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office for state crimes related to the shooting. Additionally, his probation officer charged him with violating the terms of his release.
However, in an effort to avoid prosecution, Jackson, his brother, and his girlfriend devised a plan to bribe the gunshot victim to recant his identification. They paid the victim $7,000 upfront, promised another $8,000 after the charges were dismissed, and had him sign a typewritten affidavit from his hospital bed.
The plot was foiled when the victim contacted the brother, Gregory Jackson, about the second half of the bribery payment. Brown also explained to the victim that the feds had picked up the case, indicating that their scheme was unraveling.
Jackson pleaded guilty to several charges, including illegally possessing ammunition, conspiring to commit perjury, and witness tampering. His girlfriend, Jessica Brown, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and making illegal gratuity payments to a witness. Gregory Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit witness tampering and witness tampering.
As a result of his guilty plea, Darias Jackson faces up to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing ammunition. His co-defendants also face significant prison time, with conspiracy to tamper with a witness and tampering with a witness carrying a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Conspiring to commit perjury is punishable by up to five years in prison, while being an accessory after the fact to providing an illegal gratuity to a witness is punishable by up to one year in prison.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of attempting to manipulate the justice system. The defendants' actions not only put the victim's life at risk but also compromised the integrity of the justice system.
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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