Woman Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Lakisha Nelms, 31, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to making a false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government of the United States. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the case, stated that in September 2010, the defendant lied to FBI agents regarding her communications with, and her knowledge of, the whereabouts of Michael Bobbitt. At the time, Bobbitt was a fugitive with a pending federal arrest warrant. His whereabouts were material to the federal arrest and investigation into his alleged involvement in racketeering and narcotics conspiracies as a member of the

10th Street

Gang.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James H. Robertson; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Christopher Cummings; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. EST, in Buffalo, N.Y., before Judge Arcara.