DC police employee accused of passing sensitive information to street gang

WASHINGTON - A civilian employee with D.C. police has been accused of passing sensitive information to a gang member charged with murder.

Ronnika Jennings was arrested Friday after being indicted on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges. She worked as a station clerk in the Seventh District before being placed on leave last fall.

A 28-page indictment released this week lays out the case against Jennings and three others she was allegedly passing information to - Derek Turner, known as "Fats," his girlfriend Marshay Hazelwood, a security guard, and Duan Hill, who is known as "Smile-Dog."

The indictment says Turner and Hill were members of a Southeast D.C. street gang associated with Wahler Place, which was feuding at the time with a street gang associated with Trenton Park.

When Turner was accused of killing Andrew McPhatter on March 1, 2017, the indictment says Jennings helped him out by getting onto her secure and password-restricted D.C. police account known as Cobalt at 8:42 a.m., 8:48 a.m., 8:53 a.m., 8:57 a.m. and 10:39 a.m., and viewed the offense and arrest reports related to the shooting of McPhatter.

According to the indictment, Jennings and the others worked to obstruct justice in the case for the next six months.

Investigators recorded numerous phone conversations and obtained text messages, including a text exchange between Turner's girlfriend and Jennings:

Hazelwood: "This Fatz Girlfriend he wanted to speak to you"

Jennings: "All man ok"

Hazelwood: "He over at the jail he said he really ain't trying to talk to Yu over the jail phone"

Hazelwood: "He said he sends his love"

Hazelwood: "I will call wen he hang up."

Jennings: "Tell him ok just tell him call me another name tell him to keep that head up"

The indictment says by the end of the conspiracy, Jennings promised to keep Turner's girlfriend informed on any developments in the case.

In one final text message in September of last year, Turner's girlfriend wrote, "He Said He Send His Love."

D.C. police said Jennings was hired in 2005. She has been working for the police department as a civilian employee since then.

Jennings made an appearance in court over the weekend and was ordered held without bond. She has another court hearing scheduled Tuesday.

Turner's murder case is still ongoing and he remains jailed.