United States Department of Justice

United States Attorney Scott N. Schools
Northern District of California

SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Scott N. Schools announced that Yvonne Jenkins O’Neal, age 46, and her sister, LaVera Lincoln, age 54, were arraigned yesterday on an indictment charging them with conspiracy and alteration and falsification records in a federal investigation. In addition, O’Neal was charged with making false statements.

The indictment alleges that between July 28, 2004 and October 27, 2004, Yvonne Jenkins O’Neal, a Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, at Moffet Field, California, and LaVera Lincoln, Outbound Supervisor, Personal Property Office, U.S. Coast Guard in Alameda, California, conspired together and caused others to falsify records to cover up a F.E.M.A. investigation of O’Neal’s alleged misuse of government personnel and credit cards.

The indictment alleges that O’Neal caused government employees she supervised to transport personal property to a family member’s residence in Southern California. She also provided the employees with government credit cards to pay of gas and expenses for the trip. After F.E.M.A. investigators learned of the alleged misuse of government employees, O’Neal, with Lincoln’s assistance, tried to cover up the misuse by submitting false records to investigators.

The maximum possible penalty for altering or falsifying records in a federal investigation is 20 years of imprisonment and a three year term of supervised release.

The maximum possible penalty for conspiracy is 5 years of imprisonment and a three year term of supervised release. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

O’Neal and Lincoln were released on bond pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings. The case was continued for status to July 9, 2007 at 9:00am before District Judge Ronald M. Whyte in San Jose.

An indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Yvonne Jenkins O’Neal and LaVera Lincoln must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Carlos Singh is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tracey Andersen. These charges are the result of an investigation by the F.E.M.A. Office of Inspector General.

Further Information:             

Case #: CR 07- 00320-RMW

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.

Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.

All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney’s Office should be directed to Natalya LaBauve at (415) 436-7055 or by email at Natalya.LaBauve@usdoj.gov.