All articles tagged with #obstruction of justice
Former Milwaukee County judge Hannah Dugan, convicted of felony obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal officers in a Trump-era immigration crackdown, faces up to five years in prison at sentencing; she resigned amid impeachment threats, while prosecutors urge a serious sentence and her lawyers argue immunity and that she has already suffered consequences.
A former Justice Department prosecutor, Carmen Lineberger, was indicted in West Palm Beach on four counts for stealing and concealing copies of an unreleased volume of Jack Smith’s report into the Trump Mar-a-Lago investigation and emailing them to her personal accounts using coded file names. She pleaded not guilty and was released on recognizance; Judge Aileen Cannon has barred public release of that volume. The charges — obstruction of justice, concealing government records, and two misdemeanor counts of stealing government property under $1,000 — carry a potential 25-year term, though actual sentences are often shorter. The Northern District of Florida is handling the case, with possible conflicts due to ties to Southern Florida prosecutors.
A Bronx resident, Lu Jianwang, was convicted in Brooklyn federal court on two counts for acting as an illegal agent of the PRC and obstructing justice in connection with aiding the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security in opening and operating the first overseas police station in New York City; co-defendant Chen Jinping pleaded guilty last year and Lu faces up to 30 years in prison. The station, located at 107 East Broadway in Manhattan's Chinatown, aimed to monitor Chinese dissidents abroad, and an FBI search in October 2022 recovered deleted WeChat messages between the defendants and their MPS handler, underscoring U.S. concerns about foreign policing on American soil.
Jury in Brooklyn federal court convicted Lu Jianwang, a New York City resident, of acting as an illegal foreign agent for China and obstructing justice by deleting text messages; he was acquitted on conspiracy. The case centers on a Chinatown office prosecutors described as a Chinese overseas police station; Lu’s defense argued it was a community center for renewing licenses and social activities. Co-defendant Chen Jinping pleaded guilty in 2024. Sentencing is pending, with Lu facing up to 10 years for the agent charge and up to 20 years for obstruction.
An appeals court in Seoul sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to seven years in prison for resisting arrest and obstructing justice, including bypassing a cabinet meeting before declaring martial law in December 2024, on top of a life sentence for rebellion tied to his authoritarian push.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson was indicted on 30 counts, including malfeasance and obstruction of justice, over her office’s role in the jail escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center; prosecutors say her mismanagement and failure to follow basic procedures enabled the escape, even though she did not personally open doors. The inmates were recaptured after about a month. Hutson, who is leaving office after losing reelection, posted $300,000 bond, and her CFO Bianka Brown was indicted on 20 counts. The case comes amid decades of jail problems and federal oversight since 2013, with officials citing understaffing and design flaws as contributing factors.
The piece argues the Mueller Report yields four enduring truths: Russia’s active measures to influence the 2016 election; the hacking and release of Democratic emails; extensive contacts between Trump associates and Russian actors; and Volume 2’s depiction of obstruction/witness tampering by Trump and allies—demonstrating a pattern of foreign involvement and aggressive conduct—while not establishing criminal collusion, the report reframes understanding of Trump’s presidency and its dealings with Russia.
Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, has died at 81. Mueller's probe resulted in multiple prosecutions tied to people in Trump’s orbit and found no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, while not exonerating Trump on obstruction of justice. He died Friday night after battling Parkinson's disease, according to his family, and was praised by Presidents Bush and Obama for his public service.
A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig of obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators about his involvement in illegal sports betting; he faces up to 20 years in prison and sentencing is set for May 26, with an appeal planned by his defense.
Former Dodgers star Yasiel Puig was found guilty of obstructing justice and providing false statements to investigators about his involvement in an illegal sports betting operation. The verdict came after a 12-day trial, with jurors taking nearly two days to reach unanimity. Puig faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and sentencing is set for May 26. The case centers on a 2022 interview with investigators and whether Puig lied about betting through an intermediary; his defense argued he cooperated and that language and cognitive issues complicated his responses.
South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol was found guilty in the first of four trials, convicted of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and falsifying documents tied to his 2024 martial-law decree, and sentenced to five years in prison; he faces three additional trials on charges including insurrection and campaign-law violations as prosecutors pursue harsher penalties amid ongoing political turmoil.
George Zinn, a 71-year-old man, falsely claimed to be the shooter in the killing of Charlie Kirk to distract police, but was later found to be uninvolved in the shooting and charged with obstruction and child sex abuse material possession. The actual suspect, Tyler Robinson, faces multiple charges including murder.
Ryan Borgwardt, who faked his death in a Wisconsin lake and fled to Georgia, was sentenced to 89 days in jail, matching the number of days he was missing, after pleading no contest to obstructing an officer. His deception involved misleading authorities about his drowning, researching how to disappear, and creating a new life abroad, before returning to the U.S. and facing charges.
Brazilian police have accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo of attempting to interfere with Bolsonaro's ongoing trial related to the 2022 election and alleged coup, with evidence suggesting Bolsonaro planned to seek asylum in Argentina and Eduardo lobbying the US to influence the case, amid broader political tensions.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was arrested in Los Angeles on an obstruction of justice charge after police observed a gun in a vehicle and a series of events involving the theft of keys. He was released early Friday and is scheduled for court next month.