Karen Read grand jury member charged with leaking info
Video above: A verdict is reached by the jury in the Karen Read trial on June 18, 2025.
(NewsNation) — A member of the grand jury that indicted Karen Read has been charged with disclosing information presented to a federal grand jury to unauthorized individuals.
Jessica M. Leslie, 34, was charged with criminal contempt and has agreed to plead guilty in an appearance to be held at a later date.
Charging documents allege that Leslie told unauthorized individuals sealed information about a case, including the names of various witnesses, information about witness testimony, and other evidence, in violation of federal rules.
Karen Read was acquitted last month in her second trial. She was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe.
Prosecutors claimed that Read ran over O'Keefe after a night of heavy drinking and left him to die in a blizzard. Read maintained her innocence, and her defense presented a theory that O'Keefe's fellow police officers had covered up the real cause of his death.
Read's first trial ended in a mistrial, and she was acquitted on charges of murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of the accident in a second trial. She was found guilty of driving under the influence and given one year of probation.
There was heavy media coverage in both trials, with Read frequently speaking to the press.
Leslie could face prison time, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.