Four Plead Guilty to Contempt of Court for Refusing to Testify at Trial

Four Plead Guilty to Contempt of Court for Refusing to Testify at Trial

The following press release was published by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys on Aug. 4, 2017. It is reproduced in full below.

PITTSBURGH - Three residents of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, and a resident of New Jersey pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of criminal contempt of court, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

Khayri Battle, 36, of Newark, New Jersey, Shane Brooks, 30, Victoria Morgan, 32, and Bobby Rodgers, 48, all of Duquesne, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count each before United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Battle, Brooks, Morgan and Rodgers refused to testify at the trial of Anthony Pryor and Lance Yarbough, for charges that included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, despite a written order compelling them to testify pursuant to a grant of immunity from United States District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton.

Judge Walton scheduled sentencings for all four of the defendants for September 8, 2017. The law provides for an indeterminate prison sentence, an indeterminate fine, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the prosecutions of Battle, Brooks, Morgan and Rodgers.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys

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