TAOS, N.M. (KRQE) – A woman at the center of the 2018 Taos County compound case is expected to spend more than a decade in federal prison amid accusations she led adults and children in an effort to prepare for violent attacks in the U.S. Jany Leveille, 40, pleaded guilty Friday to two charges in a case that unfolded after authorities found the remains of a three-year-old boy and eleven malnourished children amid a cache of weapons and ammunition.
Leveille did not plead to any terror charges. Instead, she pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S.” and “possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the U.S.” She and four other adults were living in a compound near Amalia, just south of the Colorado state line between December 2017 and August 2018. Federal investigators accused the group of training their children to carry out future attacks on schools, banks, a hospital and government buildings.
Described by federal prosecutors as a leader among the group, Leveille is the first suspect to take a plea in the case after years of court arguments surrounding her competency. Investigators say Leveille is a Haitian national who believed she was receiving messages and directions from God. In 2019, she was found incompetent to stand trial, a decision that was ultimately reversed in 2022.
Leveille’s attorney provided a brief statement about the plea Friday, calling the plea a difficult decision. Leveille has faced a pending case for nearly five years.
“Today, Ms. Leveille entered a guilty plea to two counts, both involving her possession of firearms as an immigrant whose immigration status had lapsed,” said Aric Elsenheimer, attorney for Jany Leveille. “This was a difficult decision for Ms. Leveille, but one that ends the litigation in her case. She looks forward to moving forward, preparing for the Sentencing Hearing, and reuniting with her family.”
According to the plea agreement, Leveille admits she and the four other suspects gathered eleven guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in Georgia around December 2017. The group eventually traveled to New Mexico with the weapons and ammo in Leveille’s car.
Once in New Mexico, Leveille admits she and the suspects “built and maintained a compound” made of a trailer, wood, a plastic tarp and a tire wall. The compound also “included a firing range and tactical training ground,” according to the plea agreement.
The filing also outlines the training of children on that firing range. Leveille admits in the plea agreement that “Lucas Morton and Siraj Ibn Wahhaj trained persons, including [her] minor children, in firearms use and tactical maneuvers,” something that happened “with [her] knowledge and permission.” Part of the agreement also includes an acknowledgement that Leveille was knowing in the U.S. illegally with an expired visa, and that she was not allowed to possess guns or ammo.
In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped five charges against Leveille, which alleged conspiracy related to terrorism, murder and kidnapping, also actual kidnapping. While she has signed off on the agreement, Leveille has yet to be sentenced. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of between 12 to 15 years in prison. As of February 10th, no sentencing date has been set.
The four other defendants in the case are Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, Hujrah Wahhaj, Subhanah Wahhaj and Lucas Morton. So far, the cases against each of those defendants remain pending.
