Joint Interim Status Report — United States v. Sniders Jean-Jacques et al. (District of Massachusetts) (Document 53)

Summary

A Joint Interim Status Report, Document 53, filed May 20, 2026 under Local Rule 116.5(b) by the United States and defendants Sniders Jean-Jacques, Lorne Johnson, Tanya Pierre and Ashley Spike, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, No. 1:26-cr-10031-RGS. The government reports automatic and supplemental discovery totaling just under 57,000 pages produced on March 9, March 31, April 3 and April 30, 2026, and expects another production on or about May 29, 2026. The defendants state that they have no Rule 12(b) motions at this time and no current plans for a discovery request. The report states that the government is engaged in plea discussions with one of the defendants and estimates its case-in-chief would not exceed two weeks.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

       Case 1:26-cr-10031-RGS          Document 53        Filed 05/20/26      Page 1 of 5




                        IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                         FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

                                                  )
      UNITED STATES OF AMERICA                    )
                                                  )
                v.                                )   Criminal No. 25-10031-RGS-JCB
                                                  )
      (1) SNIDERS JEAN-JACQUES,                   )
      (2) LORNE JOHNSON,                          )
      (3) TANYA PIERRE, and                       )
      (4) ASHLEY SPIKE                            )
                                                  )
                       Defendants                 )


                            JOINT INTERIM STATUS REPORT

       Pursuant to Local Rule 116.5(b), the United States and defendants Sniders Jean-Jacques,

Lorne Johnson, Tanya Pierre, and Ashley Spike state as follows:

(1)    Status of Automatic Discovery and Pending Discovery Requests

       The government produced automatic and supplemental discovery totaling just under

57,000 pages on March 9, 2026, March 31, 2026, April 3, 2026, and April 30, 2026.1 These

productions consist of more than 6,300 Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan and forgiveness

files, search materials, text chats between co-conspirators, and records from the tax preparation

software defendants are alleged to have used to create fake tax documents submitted with the PPP

applications, among other items. As discussed below, the government anticipates making its next

rolling production on or about May 29, 2026, which will include additional PPP loan and

forgiveness files the government has received since the last production, PPP applicants’ true tax

returns from the IRS, defendants’ bank and financial records, and additional text chats.




       1
         The government also re-issued a portion of the March 31, 2026 production on April 24,
2026 to correct a duplication error in the Bates scheme.
        Case 1:26-cr-10031-RGS         Document 53        Filed 05/20/26     Page 2 of 5




        Additionally, in early May 2026, the government produced body worn camera footage to

individual defendants, as well as written or recorded statements they may have made to

investigators (including, for defendant Sniders Jean-Jacques, the full iCloud return obtained

pursuant to search warrant No. 24-mj-7416).

        On April 30, 2026, counsel for defendant Jean-Jacques requested (a) any reports describing

the events surrounding Jean-Jacques’s arrest, as well as any searches conducted at that time; (b)

any reports documenting law enforcement’s efforts to locate Jean-Jacques in order to effectuate

his arrest; and (c) body worn camera footage from Jean-Jacques’s arrest. As noted, the government

has now produced the body worn camera footage from Jean-Jacques’s arrest at the West Dixie

Highway location, as well as body worn camera footage from the attempted arrest at the 156 NE

Terrace location, to his counsel. The government is confirming whether any of the requested

reports exist.

        The government has requested reciprocal discovery under Fed. R. Crim. P. 16(b) and Local

Rule 116.1(d). There are no other pending discovery requests. Defendants have not yet produced

any discovery to the government.

(2)     Timing of Any Additional Discovery To Be Produced

        As noted above, the government anticipates making a supplemental production on or about

May 29, 2026, which will include additional PPP loan and forgiveness files the government has

received since the last production, the first tranche of PPP applicants’ true tax returns from the

Internal Revenue Service, defendants’ bank and financial records, and additional text chats.

        The government is still processing and reviewing electronic devices obtained during the

execution of search warrants on defendant Jean-Jacques’s person and residence and Lorne

Johnson’s person. The government expects to receive copies of these devices to begin its review



                                                2
        Case 1:26-cr-10031-RGS           Document 53        Filed 05/20/26      Page 3 of 5




on or about May 28, 2026 and anticipates producing materials from these devices in a subsequent

production on or about June 30, 2026. The government anticipates receiving an additional tranche

of PPP borrowers’ true federal income tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service which the

government will include in the next production as well.

        The government will provide additional discovery as it is received and processed pursuant

to Local Rule 116.7.

(3)     Timing of Any Additional Discovery Requests

        Defendants are reviewing the materials produced thus far and have no current plans to

make a discovery request, but reserve their rights to do so after having reviewed all the automatic

and supplemental discovery produced by the government.

(4)     Protective Orders

        There is a protective order currently in place. See Dkt. 39.

(5)     Pretrial Motions Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)

        Defendants are reviewing the discovery materials and evaluating the merits of any motions

under Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b). Defendants do not have any motions under Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)

at this time.

(6)     Timing of Expert Disclosures

        Should expert testimony prove necessary, the government agrees to make the requisite

expert witness disclosures 60 days before trial, and the defendants agree to make reciprocal expert

disclosures 30 days before trial.

(7)     Defenses of Insanity, Public Authority, or Alibi

        No defendant intends to offer defenses of insanity, public authority, or alibi.




                                                  3
         Case 1:26-cr-10031-RGS         Document 53        Filed 05/20/26     Page 4 of 5




(8)      Speedy Trial Act Calculation

         The Court excluded all time between defendants’ respective initial appearances in this

District and May 26, 2026 from the Speedy Trial clock. See Dkts. 11, 31, 36, 45. Following

issuance of the latest Order on Excludable Delay, the Court rescheduled the interim status

conference from May 26, 2026 to May 28, 2026.

(9)      Status of Plea Discussions and Estimated Length of Trial

         The government is engaged in plea discussions with one of the defendants and will be

reaching out to counsel for the remaining three defendants in short order. If the case were to

proceed to trial, the government currently estimates that its case-in-chief would not exceed two

weeks.

(10)     Timing of an Interim Status Conference

         As noted, the government is continuing to produce discovery, is engaged in plea

negotiations with one of the defendants, and anticipates additional plea discussions in the

following months. Accordingly, the parties request that the Court convene a further interim status

conference in approximately 60 days to give the defendants and their counsel sufficient time to

review the discovery productions, including the forthcoming rolling productions. The parties ask

the Court to exclude the period until that conference under 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7) in order that

the defendants may have adequate time to review discovery and formulate a discovery plan, if

necessary. The defendants agree to exclude the time between May 26, 2026, and the date of the

interim status conference from the Speedy Trial calculation.

         In light of the status of the case, the parties agree that an initial status conference is

unnecessary and request that the Court issue an order cancelling the initial status conference.




                                                 4
       Case 1:26-cr-10031-RGS         Document 53       Filed 05/20/26      Page 5 of 5




Respectfully submitted,                           Respectfully submitted,

   LEAH B. FOLEY                                  SNIDERS JEAN-JACQUES
   United States Attorney

By: /s/ Kristen A. Kearney                   By: /s/ Jane Peachy
   KRISTEN A. KEARNEY                           JANE PEACHY
   Assistant U.S. Attorney                      Peachy Hackett & Sunderland
                                                88 Broad Street, Suite 101
                                                Boston, MA 02110


                                                  LORNE JOHNSON

                                             By: /s/ James M. Caramanica
                                                JAMES M. CARAMANICA
                                                Law Office of James M. Caramanica
                                                120 North Main Street, Suite 306
                                                Attleboro, MA 02703


                                                  TANYA PIERRE

                                             By: /s/ Mark W. Shea
                                                MARK W. SHEA
                                                Shea & LaRocque, LLP
                                                88 Broad Street, Suite 101
                                                Boston, MA 02110


                                                  ASHLEY SPIKE

                                             By: /s/ Joshua R. Hanye
                                                JOSHUA R. HANYE
                                                Federal Public Defender Office
                                                51 Sleeper Street, 5th Floor
                                                Boston, MA 02210

Date: May 20, 2026
                               CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

        I hereby certify that this document, filed through the ECF system, will be sent
electronically to the registered participants as identified on the Notice of Electronic Filing.

Dated: May 20, 2026                                /s/ Kristen A. Kearney
                                                   Kristen A. Kearney

                                              5


File and source

File

gov.uscourts.mad.295484.53.0.pdf

Size

155,936 bytes

SHA-256

bb832fd7ad4f20141f081340696c4d2b0cbfade7e287cbd8dcbd4f18843f97f6

Our copy

gov.uscourts.mad.295484.53.0.pdf

Original

No public link identified.