WASHINGTON - A New York attorney, Ning Ye, 56, has been indicted by a federal grand jury with assaulting two Deputy U.S. Marshals earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia during the course of a hearing in a criminal case, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and George B. Walsh, U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, announced today.

The two-count indictment that was returned this afternoon alleges that on or about March 18, 2008, Ning Ye unlawfully and knowingly forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, or interfered with two Deputy U.S. Marshals, and in the commission of such acts Ye inflicted bodily injury to one Deputy U.S. Marshal and had physical contact with the second Deputy U.S. Marshal, while they were engaged in or on account of the performance of their official duties. If convicted of the charges, Ye faces a possible statutory sentence of up to 20 years.

In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Taylor and U.S. Marshal Walsh commended the outstanding investigative work of Senior Inspectors Clay Edwards and William Jessup of the U.S. Marshal Service. Also praised was the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla-Dee Clark, who investigated this case, secured the indictment and will prosecute the matter at trial.

An Indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.