Four Charged with Criminal Contempt of Court for Refusing to Testify at Trial

PITTSBURGH – Three residents of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, and a resident of New Jersey, have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on charges of criminal contempt of court, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

The one-count indictments, returned yesterday, named Khayri Battle, 36, of Newark, New Jersey, Shane Brooks, 30, Victoria Morgan, 32, and Bobby Rodgers, 48, all of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, as defendants.

According to the indictments, Battle, Brooks, Morgan and Rodgers refused to testify at the trial of Anthony Pryor and Lance Yarbough, for charges that included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, despite a written order compelling them to testify pursuant to a grant of immunity from United States District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton.

The law provides for an indeterminate prison sentence, an indeterminate fine, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.