Muskegon Defendants, Larry Dwayne Diggs And Tunisia Phillips-Lark, Plead Guilty To Drug, Firearm, Witness Tampering, And Perjury Offenses

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Larry Dwayne Diggs, also known as "Montana" and "Montie," of Muskegon, Michigan pled guilty to federal drug, firearm, and witness tampering offenses, U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles announced today. Diggs’ codefendant, Tunisia Phillips-Lark, pled guilty to one count of perjury. Diggs faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison; Lark faces up to five years in prison.

          Diggs admitted at his plea hearing that on July 2, 2015, he possessed a quantity of "crack" cocaine and a Glock pistol while at a gas station in Muskegon, Michigan. He was on his way to sell the "crack" cocaine to a customer and possessed the loaded handgun for protection. Muskegon Township Police were dispatched to the scene on a report of a possible narcotics transaction. Diggs fled when police arrived, leaving behind the handgun and cocaine. Investigation revealed that the handgun was stolen, and that Diggs had previously been convicted of a felony.

          Diggs further admitted at his plea hearing that after he was incarcerated, he tampered with a witness who had been subpoenaed to testify against him. He called Phillips-Lark from jail and instructed her to lie to a federal grand jury investigating the July 2, 2015 incident. Phillips-Lark subsequently testified falsely before the grand jury. In addition, Phillips-Lark and Diggs conspired to tamper with another witness so that this witness would not "implicate" Diggs.

          Lark, in turn, admitted at her plea hearing that she lied about Diggs when she testified before the federal grand jury. She admitted that she did so to help him try to avoid charges.

          The charges in this case are the result of a joint investigation by the Muskegon Township Police Department and the Muskegon Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Muskegon City Police Department. The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to combat violent crime and witness tampering in the Muskegon area.

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