Boston Man Previously Convicted of Sex Trafficking to Plead Guilty to Witness Intimidation

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to attempting to prevent a witness whom he allegedly exposed himself to from testifying against him in a federal proceeding.

Mark Pinnock, 32, had been charged with one count of witness intimidation. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. 

According to the charging documents, in 2014, Pinnock was sentenced to eight years in prison for a sex trafficking offense. In 2022, Pinnock was released and under federal supervision while working as an Amazon driver. It is alleged that in July 2022, while Pinnock was on supervised release for his 2014 sex trafficking conviction, a victim reported to local law enforcement that Pinnock allegedly exposed his penis to her while delivering a package to the condominium complex where the victim worked as a custodian. As a result, the U.S. Probation Office sought to revoke Pinnock’s term of supervised release and the Court scheduled a hearing to adjudicate Pinnock’s alleged offense.  

It is alleged that one week before the hearing, Pinnock sent a co-conspirator to the condominium complex on his behalf. The co-conspirator allegedly told the victim not to go to Court and stood with his hand in his pocket as if he had something in it. Pinnock also allegedly used an encrypted messaging application to send an anonymous message to the security officer at the complex to “let the cleaning lady know” she would be arrested by immigration officials if she were to go to court. Finally, Pinnock placed three separate phone calls to immigration officials in an attempt to have the victim detained for being unlawfully present in the United States.  Pinnock falsely claimed to ICE, among other things, that he had heard the victim was gang-affiliated.

The charge of witness intimidation provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today.  The Brockton Police provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.  

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.