Onetime Top Assistant in Phila. DA's Office Charged With Framing Former Boyfriend
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In a story of revenge right out of a soap opera, an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia has been arrested.
Lynn Nichols, most recently the assistant chief of the Philadelphia DA's homicide unit, turned herself in to Philadelphia's Southwest Detectives division today.
Based on an investigation by the state attorney general's office, Nichols has been charged with one count of making false reports to police and one count of obstruction of justice.
The attorney general's office says Nichols used her influence a year ago to have a stolen vehicle report removed from a police database, to help her boyfriend at the time.
A year later, authorities say, Nichols had broken up with that boyfriend and, as an act of revenge, reported the vehicle stolen once again to police in New Jersey. Authorities say she called 911 from the original car owner's home phone, with that person present. In a twist, prosecutors say the original car owner reported Nichols to authorities.
A complaint came in to the Philadelphia district attorney's office from the where Nichols served for 22 years. They handed the case over to the attorney general, who filed the charges. Nichols was suspended and has since tendered her resignation.
In a statement, DA Seth Williams said, "Lynn Nichols had a long and successful career in this office. While it is with both professional and personal sadness that I am making this announcement today, we must maintain the highest standards of conduct in my office, and the legal process must take its course.".
When asked if any of Nichols' work on cases through the years has been compromised because of the investigation, her resignation and arrest, Tasha Jamerson, spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said, "No, none of her cases or casework have been called into question or review."
Nichols was released on bail.
