A Boston man, previously convicted of sex trafficking, was hit with a stiff penalty for his latest criminal endeavor. On January 5, Mark Pinnock was slapped with a 33-month sentence for attempting to intimidate a witness from testifying against him in a federal proceeding.
Last year, while employed as an Amazon driver and under federal supervision, Pinnock indecently exposed himself to a woman working at a condo complex. The incident sparked a revocation hearing of his supervised release which Pinnock, 32, sought to derail. Working with a co-conspirator, he organized a menacing encounter to frighten the victim from appearing in court. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the co-conspirator posed as a state worker, all the while suggesting threats as his hand ominously tucked in his pocket.
The intimidation didn't stop there. Pinnock took to encrypted messages, warning a security officer at the complex that the victim, referred to as "the cleaning lady," would face arrest by immigration officials should she dare to testify. He called immigration officials, spinning a web of falsehoods, including a baseless gang affiliation accusation in hopes of having the victim detained.
Convicted in 2014 for sex trafficking, Pinnock was out of prison and supposed to be on the straight and narrow. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton didn't take kindly to Pinnock's tactics, ordering 33 months behind bars followed by a supervised release of three years. "This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct," said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy in the official announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Brockton Police Department were credited for their investigative efforts, leading to the unraveling of Pinnock's scheme. The case was spearheaded by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division.
