The woman accused of helping stash millions of dollars of stolen cash in the largest public corruption case in the District’s history was indicted in a Maryland federal court on Monday.
Jayrece Turnbull, niece of alleged mastermind Harriette Walters, was formally charged with receiving stolen property and aiding in the scheme to embezzle more than $20 million from the D.C. property tax office by a federal grand jury in Maryland. Turnbull faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Her attorney, Michael Citaramanis, could not be reached for comment late Monday.
The indictment comes less than two weeks after federal attorneys in D.C. and defense attorneys agreed to extend the deadline on indictments in the case of tax office manager Walters. Turnbull, 34, of Bowie, has been described in court documents as being a major confederate of Walters in the decades-long scheme. Prosecutors say they found more than $12.7 million in stolen money in bank accounts controlled by Turnbull.
During raids of the suspects’ homes last fall, FBI agents found a treasure trove of designer shoes, watches and designer bags.
Sources in Las Vegas have told The Examiner that Turnbull was participating in lavish spending sprees with her aunt as early as 1994.
It was Turnbull who unwittingly led authorities to the scheme last July when she tried to cash a $410,000 check at a SunTrust bank branch in Bowie, according to documents.
When the bank teller asked for proof that she was an officer of the company to whom the check was written, Turnbull became verbally abusive, prompting bank officials to look further into her transactions, according to documents.
Prosecutors said the conspirators stole more than $20 million from the District’s coffers, but an independent auditors commissioned by the D.C. Council have told lawmakers that the amount is at least $43 million.
For years, the defendants filed phony property tax returns to bogus companies controlled by the members of the scheme.
