An IT worker at the Houston's U.S. Attorney's Office plead not guilty and was released on bond after he was accused of pretending to be a federal lawyer and attempting to intimidate a business rival to his niche side project.
Trevor Neill, 43, was indicted in January on six federal felonies, including impersonating government official, making false documents and aggravated identity. He appeared in court on Feb. 10, according to the Houston Chronicle.
According to the indictment, Neill was an information technology specialist for the U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of Texas. But according to court documents, Neill also operated a side business called Schoolhouse Snacks, which sold branded snack boxes through online stores.
As the Houston Chronicle reports, the company's Amazon page advertised the boxes as time-saving solutions, offering snacks such as Goldfish crackers, Chips Ahoy! and other foods.
The indictment points out that Neill used an envelope from the attorney's office to send a letter to another competing company in January 2024. He identified himself as an assistant U.S. attorney and threatened the rival company with legal action and a demand to "remove all unauthorized product from your store."
Court documents also accuse Neill of twice faking military orders to obtain time off from his job as an Army reservist and using other people's identities on the days he made the fake orders.
Amid all the accusations, Neill's defense attorney Sean Timmons said the charges are a result of a "simple misunderstanding" and that the indictment is "wholly inaccurate."
"A lot of the times the information in the indictment is an embellishment," Timmons said.
A jury trial has been set for April, according to court records. If convicted, Neill could face up to five years behind bars.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
