Indicted Letitia James Sheltering Fugitive Grandniece in Virginia Home

Niagara Action
Oct 15
2 min read

New York Attorney General Letitia James – already under federal indictment – is now facing new scrutiny following news that her grandniece, a wanted fugitive in North Carolina, has been living in her Virginia home for years.

According to a Daily Mail investigation, James’ grandniece, Nakia Thompson, has resided rent-free with her three children at the Attorney General’s Norfolk property since 2020. Court documents obtained by the outlet confirm that Thompson has been classified as an “absconder” by the North Carolina Department of Corrections after failing to complete her probation.

“Ms. Thompson was sentenced to probation for misdemeanor convictions for assault and battery and trespassing, and has willfully avoided probation supervision,” said Keith Acree, a spokesman for the North Carolina DOC. He further clarified, “An absconder is considered a fugitive. Thompson faces arrest if she is located in North Carolina.”

While her crimes are considered minor, Acree noted they are “non-extraditable,” meaning authorities will not forcibly return her from out of state.

The situation has drawn attention because Thompson herself testified before a grand jury in June, admitting that she has been living in James’ $235,000 Virginia residence without paying rent or contributing to maintenance. The New York Times previously confirmed that James purchased the three-bedroom home in 2020, the same year Thompson moved in.

Court records also show Thompson’s history of convictions: one for assault and battery and one for second-degree trespass in October 2011, which resulted in her probation sentence. Earlier records list convictions for assault/threat against the government in 2006 and simple assault/affray in 2005. Under North Carolina law, absconders may face extended probation, revocation, or even imprisonment if located.

James herself is dealing with her own federal criminal case. A grand jury in Virginia indicted her on charges of bank fraud and making a false statement to obtain a mortgage on the same Norfolk property where Thompson resides. James has publicly denied the allegations, characterizing them as politically driven.

At a rally earlier this week for Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, James defiantly told supporters: “I stand on solid rock and I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend.”

The indicted Attorney General framed the charges as the product of a Trump-aligned prosecutor attempting to undermine her career.