Colorado Springs Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Perjury

January 28, 2010 - Lawanna Clark, age 47, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Court Judge Christine Arguello to serve six months in federal prison for perjury, U.S. Attorney David M. Gaouette and IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Sigerson announced. Following her prison term, Clark is to serve two years on supervised release, with a special condition that she perform 100 hours of community service. Clark was ordered to report to a facility designated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons within 15 days of designation.

Lawanna Clark was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on April 4, 2009. A summons was issued, ordering Clark to appear in court on April 23, 2009. Clark failed to appear, and an arrest warrant was issued. That warrant was executed on May 14, 2009. On November 12, 2009, a jury found her guilty of perjury following a two-day trial. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning their guilty verdict.

According to information contained in Clark’s indictment as well as the evidence presented at the trial, on February 6, 2007, Clark testified under oath before the federal grand jury regarding an investigation of a scheme to defraud over forty staffing companies.

The Banks indictment alleges that the named defendants, acting through companies known as Leading Team, Inc. (“LT”), IRP Solutions Corporation (“IRP”), or DKH, LLC (“DKH”), defrauded the victim staffing companies by perpetrating a scheme that included approving and submitting to staffing companies time reporting cards containing false statements about the number of hours worked by employees, the times of day during which employees worked, and/or the nature of the work performed by employees. Several of the defendants named in that indictment and many of the other alleged employees were either Clark’s family members, members of her church, or both. Clark was placed at Leading Team through a staffing company called Analysts International (“AI”), as a software tester.

During Clark’s appearance before the grand jury on February 6, 2007, Clark was questioned about a number of topics, including Analysts International, her knowledge of the businesses of Leading Team, IRP, and DKH, and her dealings with a bank account in the name of IRP over which she had, at least initially, sole signatory authority. Clark provided testimony on all of these topics that was contradicted by evidence introduced during her trial. Specifically she was asked, “You never withdrew any money from the [IRP] bank account?” Defendant Clark testified, “No.” Evidence later demonstrated that on April 22, 2003, Defendant Clark made two cash withdrawals of $4,000 each from this account.

“Lying before a grand jury is a serious crime with serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney David Gaouette.

“This case sends a clear message, there are consequences for lying while under oath in a court of law,” said Christopher M. Sigerson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office.

This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Kirsch.