Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Baltimore,Maryland – Tyesha Towanda Roberts, age 37, of Baltimore,Maryland pleaded guilty today to attempting to obstruct a federal investigation.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge Frank Riehl of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci; and Anne Arundel County Fire Department Chief Allan C. Graves.

According to Roberts’ plea agreement, in September 2015, a co-conspirator told an individual that Roberts would be willing to offer false testimony concerning the whereabouts of that individual in a federal investigation involving insurance fraud and a series of arsons. On October 27, 2015, a confidential source met with the co-conspirator and Roberts to confirm that Roberts was willing to offer false testimony. After discussing the proposed false testimony, Roberts agreed that she was willing to lie and took a $1,000 down payment from the confidential source.

At a meeting on November 6, 2015, Roberts and her co-conspirator solicited $10,000 from the confidential source and an undercover officer, in order to commit the murder of a witness in the case. Roberts said that she had a person who would carry out the murder. The undercover officer offered a $2,000 down payment with the remaining $8,000 to be paid upon the completion of the murder. Roberts and the co-conspirator agreed to accept that payment. Roberts and the co-conspirator did not receive money at that time, but agreed to wait for the undercover officer to contact them to set up a meeting with them and the shooter. A few days later the co-conspirator told the undercover officer that he didn’t trust the person Roberts had found to commit the murder and that they (the co-conspirator and the undercover officer) should commit the murder themselves.

Roberts faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell has scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2016 at 2:15 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, Baltimore Police Department, Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office and Anne Arundel County Fire Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Zachary A. Myers, who are prosecuting the case.

###