What to Know
- A paralegal working in the U.S. Attorney’s office in NJ arrested and charged with witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy
- Tawanna Hilliard, of Brooklyn, is accused of accessing information from her government computer to identify and expose cooperating witnesses
- Her son, Tyquan, is a member of the 5-9 Brims set of the Bloods street gang currently serving seven-to-ten years in prison
A paralegal working in the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey was arrested and charged with witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy, an indictment filed today in Brooklyn federal court says.
Tawanna Hilliard, of Flatbush, Brooklyn, and her son, Tyquan Hilliard, are named in the seven count indictment. Tyquan, a member of the 5-9 Brims set of the Bloods street gang, is currently serving ten years in prison following a robbery conviction, court papers say.
Tawanna Hilliard, 44, is accused of using her position at the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey where she is employed as a paralegal in the civil division to access information from her federal government computer to identify and expose witnesses cooperating with the government’s investigation of the 5-9 Brims street gang.
Hilliard also allegedly posted on YouTube a videotaped post-arrest statement made by her son’s co-defendant in the robbery case to expose him as a government cooperator, court papers say.
Tawanna Hilliard appeared in federal court in Brooklyn later Tuesday, pleading not guilty before being released on $75,000 bond. She was placed on monitored house arrest and ordered not to have any communication with any gang members, including her son. Her son and co-defendant, Tyquan, will appear at a later date.
Attorney information was not immediately available. She is next scheduled to appear in court on August 27.
