Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Obstruct Investigation Into Homicide Committed by Boyfriend

            WASHINGTON – Aminata Bah, 24, of Bowie, Md., has pled guilty to conspiring to obstruct justice stemming from her actions over the course of the investigation into a murder last year that was committed by her boyfriend, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            The boyfriend, Demarius Jackson, 26, pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. On Aug. 17, 2018, Jackson received a sentence of 15 years of in prison following a hearing before the Honorable Judge Danya A. Dayson.

            Bah pled guilty on Nov. 28, 2018, also in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between three and seven years and is probation eligible. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2019.

            According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017. The shooting, in the 3500 block of Water Street NW, in the Georgetown area, followed a verbal altercation between the victims and the occupants of a vehicle. The vehicle was operated by an associate of Bah’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson, Bah’s boyfriend of several years, walked up, reached around Bah, and shot a 19-year-old victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, once in the back of the head and once in the chest - killing him. Jackson then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso.

            Following the shooting, Bah, her boyfriend, and her associates returned to their vehicle and fled the scene. They drove to Maryland, where they dropped off the shooter, and then immediately began to discuss what, if anything, they would say to law enforcement if they were questioned about the murder.

            Bah told the occupants of the vehicle what they should and should not say to the police, including instructing her associates that they should not mention her name or the name of her boyfriend, the shooter, to police. Bah and her associates acted upon their agreement. Not only did Bah influence the testimony of her associates, but she followed her own instruction. During the course of the investigation, Bah omitted and attempted to minimize her knowledge of and familiarity with Jackson, the shooter, and lied to the police in order to obstruct the investigation into the murder her boyfriend committed.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter