Federal grand juror in Karen Read case to plead guilty to leaking information

Jessica M. Leslie, 34, from Dracut, has been charged with criminal contempt for leaking confidential information from a federal grand jury. Allegations state she disclosed sealed details regarding the investigation into the Karen Read case, including the names of witnesses and the content of their testimonies, between August 2022 and March 2024. Leslie has agreed to plead guilty, with a plea agreement proposing a sentence of just one day in custody. The U.

S. Attorney’s Office has not publicly identified the specific proceedings involved but has confirmed her role as a juror in the Read case. Read was acquitted of murder charges in the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, earlier this year. The case received significant attention, particularly after federal prosecutors began investigating its handling before Read's charges were resolved. The Norfolk County District Attorney criticized the federal probe as "highly unusual," but the U.

S. Department of Justice denied requests to transfer the investigation. Ultimately, the federal inquiry concluded without any charges or arrests related to Read's case.