On July 27, 2021, a former U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) Paralegal Specialist assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s office for Western District of Texas in San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 5 years of probation for one count of false statements. Jennifer Loya was sentenced in the Western District of Texas. According to the factual statement in support of the guilty plea, Jennifer Loya worked as a Legal Assistant and Paralegal Specialist at the USAO in the Western District of Texas, where Assistant U.S. Attorneys were leading an investigation into a drug trafficking organization. The investigation revealed that in 2020, certain members of the drug trafficking organization had received confidential law enforcement information and had been alerted to the investigation. Through her access at the USAO, Loya learned that her brother-in-law was under federal investigation for drug trafficking and notified her sister of this information. During an interview with FBI and DEA agents, Loya was asked whether she had revealed to her sister that her brother-in-law was under investigation and she knowingly misrepresented that she had not. Loya later confessed to disclosing to her sister that her brother-in-law was under investigation. The investigation is being conducted jointly by OIG’s Houston Area Office, the DEA, and the FBI. Forensic assistance was provided by the OIG’s Cyber Investigations Office.
Date
Case Action
Sentencing