Micah Jackson, Tampering with Official Proceeding, Ohio 2016

U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon announced that Micah Jackson, 20, of Elyria, Ohio has been indicted for tampering with an official proceeding. The indictment alleges that Jackson attempted to influence two federal witnesses to retract their previously sworn testimony on November 9, 2016.

The witnesses’ testimony was given at a supervised release violation hearing before a U.S. District Court judge. The defendant in the supervised release hearing was related to Jackson. According to the indictment, Jackson attempted to influence each witness’s testimony by posting their pictures on Facebook with rat emojis above the witnesses’ faces, with the intent that each witness would change their previously sworn testimony.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benedict S. Gullo. The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The sentence in this case will be determined by the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the unique characteristics of the violation. If convicted, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases will be less than the maximum.

According to the indictment, Jackson’s actions were an attempt to tamper with the official proceeding of the supervised release hearing. The indictment does not provide further details on the relationship between Jackson and the defendant in the supervised release hearing.

Jackson is scheduled to appear in court to face the charges. It is unclear at this time when the trial will take place. The public is advised to check with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for further updates on the case.

Related Federal Cases