PX set for 3 teens accused of perjury
YUBA CITY (3/19/03) -- A Sutter County judge Wednesday set April 24 for a preliminary hearing into charges three teens lied to a grand jury probing the Ecstasy death of 17-year-old Nicole A. Crowder.
Brian N. Skousen, Frank D. Soucek and Yousef Nassiri -- all 18 and all from Yuba City -- have pleaded not guilty to all charges arising from the teen party tragedy.
The three are accused of making false statements last August to a grand jury trying to find out who gave Crowder the drugs on which she overdosed.
Crowder died April 27, 2002 after attending a barbecue at the Yuba City home of Tomio A. Izumi, 19.
Now an engineering student at Chico State University, Izumi pleaded no contest Jan. 18 to charges of maintaining a house where drugs were furnished. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Sutter County Superior Court today (Thursday).
The plea Izumi negotiated with prosecutors is expected to spare him jail time in favor of a three to five years on probation.
Sutter prosecutors are prepared to try Skousen, Soucek and Nassiri together, but this week Nassiri filed a motion to sever his case from the others.
The questioned statements may have been made to the same forum, but the individuals acted separately, making their alleged crimes different cases, defense attorney Justin Scott contends.
Superior Court Judge Robert Damron is expected to consider the severance motion at a pre-trial conference 4 p.m. April 21.
Meanwhile, new insights have emerged from court documents as to how authorities conducted their investigations into Crowder's controversial death.
Papers filed by Nassiri, reveal that police induced Izumi to phone Nassiri in an effort to lure him into making self-incriminating admissions about alleged events at the party.
However, Nassiri asserted his innocent throughout the monitored phone call, court documents and testimony at an earlier hearing indicated.
The investigating grand jury interrogated more than a score of the high school classmates who attended the party.
The resulting indictment charged Izumi with a dozen drug-related counts, but did not accuse him of being directly responsible for the girl's death.
To date, no one has been officially blamed for giving Crowder the drugs that killed her. However, in statements recorded in the closing pages of the grand jury report, prosecutors hinted they suspected someone, but lacked proof.
YUBA CITY (3/19/03) -- A Sutter County judge Wednesday set April 24 for a preliminary hearing into charges three teens lied to a grand jury probing the Ecstasy death of 17-year-old Nicole A. Crowder.
Brian N. Skousen, Frank D. Soucek and Yousef Nassiri -- all 18 and all from Yuba City -- have pleaded not guilty to all charges arising from the teen party tragedy.
The three are accused of making false statements last August to a grand jury trying to find out who gave Crowder the drugs on which she overdosed.
Crowder died April 27, 2002 after attending a barbecue at the Yuba City home of Tomio A. Izumi, 19.
Now an engineering student at Chico State University, Izumi pleaded no contest Jan. 18 to charges of maintaining a house where drugs were furnished. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Sutter County Superior Court today (Thursday).
The plea Izumi negotiated with prosecutors is expected to spare him jail time in favor of a three to five years on probation.
Sutter prosecutors are prepared to try Skousen, Soucek and Nassiri together, but this week Nassiri filed a motion to sever his case from the others.
The questioned statements may have been made to the same forum, but the individuals acted separately, making their alleged crimes different cases, defense attorney Justin Scott contends.
Superior Court Judge Robert Damron is expected to consider the severance motion at a pre-trial conference 4 p.m. April 21.
Meanwhile, new insights have emerged from court documents as to how authorities conducted their investigations into Crowder's controversial death.
Papers filed by Nassiri, reveal that police induced Izumi to phone Nassiri in an effort to lure him into making self-incriminating admissions about alleged events at the party.
However, Nassiri asserted his innocent throughout the monitored phone call, court documents and testimony at an earlier hearing indicated.
The investigating grand jury interrogated more than a score of the high school classmates who attended the party.
The resulting indictment charged Izumi with a dozen drug-related counts, but did not accuse him of being directly responsible for the girl's death.
To date, no one has been officially blamed for giving Crowder the drugs that killed her. However, in statements recorded in the closing pages of the grand jury report, prosecutors hinted they suspected someone, but lacked proof.
<< Home