Former State Department Contractor Sentenced for Sexual Assault While Deployed to Embassy in Iraq

WACO, Texas - A Killeen man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.

According to court documents, Taurean Clarence Coppage, 40, sexually assaulted a woman in her residence while he was a contractor with the U.S. Department of State in Baghdad, Iraq. Coppage was to leave Iraq on Feb. 19 and attended a going-away party at the bar on the U.S. Embassy compound the night prior, on Feb. 18. After the party, Coppage walked the female to her residence on the embassy grounds. The two agreed that, given the time of day, Coppage would sleep at the woman's residence to avoid being out past curfew.

A factual basis filed in the court documents states that, at one point in the night, the woman woke up to Coppage attempting to engage in sexual activities with her, which she rejected and pushed him away before losing consciousness. She reported the events to the authorities, launching an investigation by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Coppage admitting he sexually assaulted the victim.

Coppage was summoned to appear in federal court on March 24, 2025. A superseding information was filed on July 31, and he pleaded guilty on Aug. 5. On March 31, 2026, U.S. District Judge David Counts sentenced Coppage to 18 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $4,949.98 in restitution to the victim.

DSS investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kucera and Department of Justice Criminal Division Trial Attorney Daria Andryushchenko prosecuted the case.

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