Case of jury tampering is called ‘despicable’

Jen Lawson

Friday, Sept. 10, 2004 | 11:05 a.m.

Arnold Anderson thought Juror 11 could be his ticket to freedom.

While he was on trial last month on identity theft and fraud charges, Anderson used a detention center telephone and called the juror several times in an attempt to persuade her to push for a not guilty verdict, police said.

According to the police report, Anderson picked this juror because, like him, she was black, and he believed she "would understand because he felt she was from the 'hood."

But the juror never got to cast her vote; the court found out about the calls and last week Anderson, found guilty of fraud, was charged with four additional counts of attempting to influence a juror.

District Attorney David Roger said this case is "very uncommon."

"I think it's despicable," he said Tuesday. "Most defendants do not cross that line."

Anderson, 30, a warehouse worker at the Boulevard mall Sears store, was arrested in December 2003 on 22 counts of fraud-related charges.

He assumed the identity of a Texas man and managed to withdraw $1,500 from his bank account over a few days before the victim filed a fraud claim, according to court documents.

Anderson wrote down the names of several jurors when voir dire for his trial began on Aug. 19, police said.

That day, Anderson called his wife, Toyreba Plummer, 23, from the Clark County Detention Center and they talked over a recorded phone line about how many jurors were black and if they would sympathize with him.

Anderson told Plummer: "I need you to do me a favor and you can't be scared, man," according to court paperwork. She replied, "Whatever you want me to, honey."

Anderson instructed Plummer to approach Juror 11 in the the courthouse hallway and "play on her emotions by telling her his side of the case." He believed the juror would understand and take his side, he told Plummer.

He also asked her to try to get the juror's phone number. Plummer called information and got the number, but told Anderson she didn't think it would be smart to call her, the arrest report says.

But Anderson convinced her to make the call, the report says, telling her in code to explain to the juror "how they treat the black sheep."

Plummer decided to phone the juror and say she is a family friend from church. She called and spoke to a man, the juror's boyfriend, and said she wanted to speak to the juror "regarding a friend who was in trouble." She never actually spoke to the juror, the report says.

Anderson allegedly called the juror himself the next day. The juror's boyfriend answered again and Anderson gave a fake name, saying he needed to talk to the juror "about an issue she is dealing with."

When the boyfriend hesitated, Anderson then revealed his identity and left a message with him, asking him to tell the juror he needed her help to get him off on the charges, according to his arrest report.

He placed a second call moments later and spoke to the juror's mother, who became "very upset and started to lecture Anderson about making a call to her daughter," the report says. She told Anderson that he is putting her daughter in jeopardy of going to jail.

The juror's mother said she was going to report him and have her daughter removed from the trial, police said.

"Anderson begs (the woman) not to tell the court because it would put him at risk," the arrest report says. The call was disconnected and Anderson called back, again urging the woman to tell his daughter to find him not guilty. The woman again lectured him and hung up.

The following morning the juror's mother went to the courthouse and asked to speak to the judge presiding over Anderson's trial. She said Anderson never actually spoke to her daughter, but had tried several times.

Anderson denied it, but police obtained recordings of the phone calls and confirmed her claim, the police report says.

The juror and her mother both testified outside the presence of the jury that Anderson had made the calls.

She was excused and an alternate juror took her place, District Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said.

"At that point they went ahead and deliberated and returned with a verdict, guilty on all 22 counts," he said. They reached a verdict in just over an hour.

A warrant was also issued for Plummer's arrest but she had not been taken into custody as of this morning.

Anderson is expected to be sentenced on the fraud charges Oct. 5. A court date for the juror tampering charges has been set for Sept. 21. He was being held this morning in the detention center on $25,000 bail.

"We don't see this very often where people are contacted," Sommermeyer said. "It seems strange that this person would try it."