Pair convicted of perjury

A U.S. District Court jury in Spokane has convicted a husband and wife from Cashmere, Wash., of perjury charges.

The convictions of Frederic and Vera Yurisich late Friday stemmed from sworn statements the couple made during depositions taken in a $2 million personal injury lawsuit they filed in 2003 against the federal government.

Frederic Yurisich gave “knowingly false statements” concerning injuries he claimed to have sustained in a car accident involving a U.S. Forest Service employee, said Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Jill Bolton. Vera Yurisich committed perjury in a separate deposition by supporting her husband’s testimony concerning the extent of his injuries.

U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle, who presided over the jury trial, allowed the Yurisichs to remain free until sentencing, which has not been scheduled.