U.S. Department
of Justice
United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: KATHY COLVIN |
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2007 WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/TXN |
PHONE: (214)659-8600
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WOMAN SENTENCED TO 16 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON,WITHOUT PAROLE,
The FBI’s investigation revealed that Sheppard was stopped by DPS Trooper Corey Kernell on February 3, 2007, at 2:46 a.m., on Interstate 27 near Plainview, Texas. She was driving a pickup truck with three male passengers. The Trooper arrested Sheppard for Driving While Intoxicated, released the truck to a sober passenger, and drove Sheppard to the Hale County Jail. On February 12, 2007, Sheppard called the FBI office in Amarillo and reported that she had been falsely arrested by a DPS Trooper who had driven her to a secluded road where “she prayed to God” that she wouldn’t be harmed before being taken to jail. She stated that the Trooper was making sexually suggestive remarks and that she felt she was about to be raped. Following the telephone call, FBI agents met with Sheppard in person at her home where she repeated the same allegations. The entire traffic stop, investigation, arrest and transportation to the Hale County jail was recorded on audio and video, which the government offered into evidence at trial. The recordings clearly showed that the Trooper did not make inappropriate remarks to Sheppard and did not deviate from Interstate 40, until his arrival in Plainview. Sheppard’s statements were entirely false. U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy L. Drake, of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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