Indicted Letitia James Reportedly Housing ‘Fugitive’ Relative In Va. Home
Embattled New York Attorney General Letitia James — already under federal indictment — is now facing a new wave of scrutiny after reports surfaced that she has allegedly been harboring a fugitive relative in her Virginia residence for years.
According to a Daily Mail investigation, James’s grandniece, Nakia Thompson, has been living rent-free in the Democrat’s three-bedroom property in Norfolk, Virginia, since 2020, along with her three children.
Court documents reviewed by the outlet reveal that Thompson is listed as an “absconder” wanted by authorities in Forsyth County, North Carolina, for violating probation and failing to complete her court-ordered sentence.
“Ms. Thompson was sentenced to probation for misdemeanor convictions for assault and battery and trespassing, and has willfully avoided probation supervision,” Keith Acree from the North Carolina Department of Corrections told the Daily Mail.
“An absconder is considered a fugitive. Thompson faces arrest if she is located in North Carolina,” Acree added, noting that while her crimes are low-level and “non-extraditable,” the label still designates her as a fugitive from justice.
Living Rent-Free in James’s Home
Testimony from a June grand jury proceeding revealed that Thompson has lived in James’s $235,000 Norfolk property since the attorney general purchased it and does not pay rent, nor does she contribute to maintenance or upkeep costs, according to The New York Times.
Public records reviewed by The New York Post show Thompson’s criminal history dates back nearly two decades. She was convicted in 2011 of assault and battery and second-degree trespass, resulting in a probation sentence she later failed to complete. She also has prior convictions from 2005 and 2006 for assault, threats against government officials, and affray.
The North Carolina Department of Corrections states that individuals who abscond from probation can face extended supervision, revocation of probation, or even incarceration once located.
James’s Own Legal Troubles
Letitia James herself is already in legal jeopardy. A federal grand jury in Virginia indicted her on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to obtain a mortgage for the same Norfolk property now housing her fugitive relative — allegations she has repeatedly denied.
On Monday, James dismissed the case as “politically motivated,” pointing out that it was filed by a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor. Speaking at a rally for left-wing New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, she struck a defiant tone:
“I stand on solid rock and I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend.”
Political History and Legal Fallout
James first rose to prominence in 2018 by campaigning on a promise to “get Trump”, a slogan that defined her tenure as New York’s top law enforcement officer. She later charged President Donald J. Trump with mortgage fraud in a case that resulted in a $474 million judgment — a ruling that has since collapsed on appeal.
A New York appeals court later tossed out the massive penalty after finding the case “legally baseless” and “grossly excessive.” Two of the five appellate judges stated that Trump was wrongly found liable, while a third said the case should never have been brought at all.
“Today’s ruling by the New York appeals court is a resounding victory for President Trump and his company,” said Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal attorney who later became interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey.
“The court struck down the outrageous and unlawful $464 million penalty, confirming what we have said from the beginning: the Attorney General’s case was politically motivated, legally baseless, and grossly excessive.”
Attorney Christopher Kise echoed the sentiment:
“A $500 million day and an awesome victory for President Trump! The reality here is that President Trump was always worth even more than what was reflected in the financial statements and the New York Attorney General simply disregarded well-established principles of property valuation in an effort to justify her abusive and politically motivated case.”
Now, with both criminal charges and fresh ethical questions swirling around her, Letitia James finds herself not as the hunter, but as the hunted — a political figure once hailed by the left now facing the same scrutiny she so zealously wielded against others.