Former Federal Employee Indicted For Lying To Investigators About Placing Confederate Flag On Coworker’s Desk

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Susan R. Thompson (58, Jacksonville) with two counts of making false statements to a federal officer. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count.

According to the indictment, while working for the Army Corps of Engineers, Thompson placed a printed image of the Confederate battle flag on the desk of an African-American coworker. Thompson then lied on two occasions to an inspector from the Federal Protective Service by stating that she had not placed the image on her coworker’s desk.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless,  and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.