ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – John Dompierre, 58, of Avondale, Arizona, pleaded guilty on March 28 in federal court to perjury.
On Sept. 10, 2020, federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Dompierre with one count of conspiracy and one count of transportation for illegal sexual activity. Dompierre went to trial on those charges in November 2021, but a mistrial was ordered on Nov. 5, 2021, when the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
In his plea agreement, Dompierre admitted that he perjured himself during the trial, on Nov. 3 and 4, 2021, as he testified in his own defense. Dompierre falsely testified that he could not be guilty because he suffers from a condition that renders him incapable of sexual activity. He also falsely testified that he had not taken his medication for that condition for years prior to the alleged crimes. Dompierre admitted that, while he does have a condition, it does not render him incapable of sexual activity and that his condition had not gone unmedicated. Dompierre acknowledged that he knew his testimony was false and that it was material to the criminal trial because it formed the substantial basis for his defense.
The maximum statutory penalty for perjury is up to five years in prison.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case.