A judge on Monday accepted a guilty plea from a woman authorities say leaked secret information from several Massachusetts grand jury investigations.
In a federal courtroom in Boston, prosecutors revealed new details in the case, including that the woman provided sensitive details to a “good friend,” who then shared the information on social media.
The leaks happened between August 2022 and March 2024 and involved confidential information about ongoing criminal cases, according to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley’s Office.
Jessica Leslie, 34, appeared with her attorney Keith Halpern before Judge Indira Talwani in the John J. Moakley courthouse. Leslie is charged with one count of criminal contempt.
Leslie agreed to plead guilty to the charge during the proceedings, after Talwani advised her of her rights. As part of the plea, Leslie waived her right to appeal her conviction or sentence, and there will be no trial.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for “any length of time,” along with five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office had proposed just one day of prison for Leslie, “deemed served,” followed by two years of supervised release and a $100 payment to the court clerk’s office, according to court filings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti then gave further information about the information leaks Leslie is accused of.
Leslie had texted and called to give information to a “good friend” of hers about witnesses involved in indictments that were brought before the grand jury Leslie participated in between Aug. 2022 and March 2024, Paruti said.
On Jan. 25, 2024, a post on the social media platform X “advertised general information” about a case where six people were indicted on mail fraud, perjury and other crimes, Paruti said.
Five days later, four Massachusetts State Police troopers and two others were arrested and charged with wire fraud in a 74-count indictment, known to the public as the commercial driver’s license (CDL) scheme.
Additionally, in February 2024, other posts on X “commented on the appearance of a witness” involved in an indictment from the time of Leslie’s service, and identified the witness through their initials, Paruti said.
The subsequent law enforcement investigation linked the X social media account to a person who is a “good friend” of Leslie’s, and Leslie confessed to sharing the information while being taped by officials on video, Paruti said.
Leslie spoke to the friend through text and call about at least two other “unrelated investigations,” Paruti added.
Prosecutors have not specifically named the cases that Leslie is accused of leaking information about. However, reports from WCVB and The Boston Globe from anonymous sources claim Leslie served on a federal grand jury investigating the state’s handling of the Karen Read case.
Leslie’s sentencing date was scheduled for Sept. 26 at 3 p.m., and Talwani requested a pre-sentencing report to be filed beforehand. Leslie’s attorney declined to comment on the case to MassLive.
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