Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford has returned a 14-count second superseding indictment charging DOMINIQUE MACK, also known as “Lil Sweets," 25, and TYQUAN LUCIEN, also known as “TQ" and “Frogger," 22, both of Hartford, with a conspiracy to tamper with a witness by committing first degree murder. LUCIEN was also charged with multiple attempts to commit witness tampering and attempts to commit witness retaliation by attempting to solicit another person to murder a witness who was to testify in the matter of United States v. Mack.
MACK is also charged with witness tampering by committing first degree murder of Ian Francis. Keronn Miller was not charged in this indictment, as he already pleaded guilty for his role in the murder of Ian Francis. According to court documents and statements made in court, on Dec. 21, 2010, Ian Francis was shot multiple times while sitting in his vehicle on Sigourney Street in Hartford. Francis succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 15, 2011. MACK and others, known and unknown to the grand jury, is alleged to have murdered Francis with the intent to prevent MACK’s attendance at a federal proceeding and to prevent Francis and another person from communicating with a federal law enforcement officer or judge about the commission or possible commission of a federal crime, namely, narcotics trafficking. MILLER pleaded guilty to witness tampering by committing second degree murder in December, 2014. At his guilty plea hearing, Miller admitted to luring Ian Francis to Sigourney Street knowing that Francis would be murdered. Miller is awaiting sentencing.
This superseding indictment alleges that MACK and LUCIEN conspired to kill another witness to prevent him from appearing in the matter of United States v. Mack and from communicating with law enforcement information that the witness had about the Ian Francis murder and the unlawful use and possession of a firearm. LUCIEN is alleged to have attempted to tamper with this same witness by attempting to solicit another person to murder the witness. LUCIEN is also charged with attempting to solicit another person to murder the witness, and two other persons, including a minor victim, to retaliate against the witness for appearing before a federal grand jury and for providing information to law enforcement about the murder of Ian Francis and the unlawful use and possession of a firearm.
The second superseding indictment also charges MACK with two counts of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
The charges of witness tampering by committing first degree murder and conspiracy to commit witness tampering by committing first degree murder carry a mandatory lifetime term of imprisonment. The charges of attempted witness tampering and attempted witness retaliation carry a maximum term of 30 years’ imprisonment.
MACK and LUCIEN are in federal custody. MACK appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him. LUCIEN appeared on March 30, 2015, before Judge Martinez, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes and Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Leaming and Jennifer Laraia.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
