Cooperstown woman accused of sending confidential criminal file to man facing felony charges
Mar. 14—JAMESTOWN — A Cooperstown, North Dakota, woman is facing a felony charge for allegedly accessing and sending a confidential criminal file to an individual facing multiple felony charges through a social media app, according to court documents.
Jessica Marie Dishong, 32, was charged with disclosure of confidential information provided to the government, a Class C felony, and hindering law enforcement-warning, a Class A misdemeanor.
Dishong was released from the Stutsman County Correctional Center on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond Thursday, March 14, according to the Stutsman County jail inmate roster.
Dishong was accused of sending MaGregr Rand Obregon, 28, Cooperstown, a picture and/or videos of a confidential criminal file through the social media app Snapchat on Wednesday, March 13, impeding law enforcement's execution of arrest and search warrants, court documents say. She was also accused of interfering with, hindering, delaying or preventing the discovery, apprehension, prosecution, conviction, or punishment of another by warning the other of impending discovery or apprehension other than in connection with an effort to bring another in compliance with the law.
Court documents say Obregon received a message on Snapchat with a video showing his name and five pending criminal charges against him in Griggs County.
Obregon was charged with two counts of sexual assault, terrorizing, corruption of a minor and luring minors by computers or other electronic means, Class C felonies. Obregon was in custody in the Stutsman County Correctional Center as of 5:45 p.m. Thursday, March 14, according to the Stutsman County jail inmate roster.
Obregon was accused of inappropriately touching a juvenile younger than 15 years old while he was at least 22 years old on Aug. 13 telling the same juvenile how he would kill her, forcing the juvenile to engage in a sex act, sending the juvenile an inappropriate video and asking the juvenile for nude photos. Obregon was also accused of inappropriately touching another juvenile on Dec. 11.
Court documents say law enforcement had a plan to arrest Obregon and execute a search warrant for material information/evidence related to the pending charges. Dishong notified Obregon via Snapchat prior to law enforcement executing the search warrant and notified him of pending charges, according to court documents.
Court documents say Obregon contacted the Griggs County Sheriff's Office to inquire about the pending warrants against him. Obregon said he found out about the charges through Snapchat messages from Dishong. Obregon's wife also sent screenshots of the Snapchat messages to the Griggs County Sheriff's Office.
Court documents say Dishong is a user of the Odyssey program through the Stutsman County State's Attorney's Office.
Court documents say Dishong admitted to sending confidential and/or sealed information to Obregon via Snapchat. She also admitted that she knew the information contained in the Odyssey program was confidential and should not be distributed outside of a state's attorney's office.
Dishong is still employed by Stutsman County, according to Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer.
A Class C felony is punishable by five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by 360 days in prison and a $3,000 fine.
