JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local former prosecutor is weighing in on the indictment of a Jacksonville woman, accused of lying to a federal officer twice about placing an image of the Confederate flag on her co-worker's desk.
Susan Thompson, 58, was indicted on two counts of lying to a federal officer. Each count carries up to five years in prison if convicted.
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Thompson worked at the Army Corps of Engineers, a federal agency with federal officers.
"When the FBI investigates, and you lie to them, these kinds of things will happen," said Richard Kuritz, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor.
Kuritz said this case is on the lower end of the hate crime scale and typically more serious hate crimes would include rape, kidnapping and things of that nature.
News4JAX still doesn't know how federal investigators concluded that Thompson put the image of the flag on her co-worker's desk, but Kuritz said they could have looked at her computer search history and they may have had surveillance video.
"If you did something wrong, you want to evoke your right to remain silent. You have a right to a lawyer and sometimes people need to exercise that. Had she done so, we wouldn't be here," said Kuritz.
News4JAX has not been able to reach Thompson for comment.