By: Kristin Kay
July 15, 2025
BOSTON, MA— A Massachusetts woman who served on the federal grand jury investigating the Karen Read case has been charged with criminal contempt for leaking secret grand jury information, raising new questions about online chatter that surfaced as early as July 2023, suggesting inside access to sealed proceedings. According to the Boston Globe, “Officials did not disclose that Leslie was sitting on the grand jury hearing evidence about the state prosecution of Karen Read, who was acquitted by a jury in June of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, in 2022. However, two people familiar with the allegations confirmed that she was accused of leaking information related to Read’s case.”
Jessica M. Leslie, 34, of Dracut, Massachusetts, was charged Friday in U.S. District Court with one count of criminal contempt under 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). According to the criminal information filed by prosecutors, Leslie “knowingly and willfully disobeyed” Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e)(2), which prohibits disclosure of grand jury matters, and violated a standing order by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani.
Federal prosecutors allege Leslie disclosed “the names of various witnesses,” “the substance of their testimony,” and other evidence presented to the grand jury, material that was under seal and strictly confidential.
Leslie has signed a plea agreement, waiving indictment and agreeing to plead guilty to the sole count of contempt. Prosecutors and defense counsel jointly recommend that she serve “one day, deemed served,” with no additional prison time, a $100 assessment, and 24 months of supervised release.
Karen Read, 45, was acquitted in June of second-degree murder and other major felonies in the 2022 death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. Her defense argued she had been framed by officers and prosecutors. In a move unusual for any state homicide case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office convened a federal grand jury to investigate alleged misconduct by the Norfolk County District Attorney during Read’s prosecution or better said persecution.
Federal Investigators reportedly concluded that O’Keefe’s injuries were inconsistent with being hit by a car, let alone a 6,000 lb. SUV, casting doubt on the state’s narrative. Though state officials claimed the federal probe was closed earlier this year, Leslie’s prosecution strongly suggests otherwise.
Leslie’s initial appearance is scheduled for July 22, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.
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