A Columbus man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness in a federal gun case against him, according to a news release.
Aubrey Crittenden, aka Frog, 36, was sentenced Tuesday to serve 56 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Clay Land.
”It’s a highly serious criminal offense to attempt to interfere with the administration of justice by tampering with a witness,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in the release.
According to court documents, Columbus Police Department officers patrolled the area of Pecan Street and Benner Avenue in Columbus while they searched for Crittenden, who was a wanted person and has a lengthy criminal history. He previously was convicted in Superior Court in Muscogee County for terroristic threats and theft by taking, according to the release.
A witness called 911 to alert officers that Crittenden was on Pecan Street with a gun, according to court documents. Officers spotted Crittenden, and after a brief chase, he was taken into custody, according to the documents.
Crittenden, who had a loaded 9mm pistol in his car, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 12, 2020, of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was detained before his trial at the Lee County, Alabama, Jail, according to the news release.
While incarcerated, Crittenden made many jail calls, including between May 20 and June 9 of this year, coordinating with and directing individuals to draft an affidavit containing false statements and to pressure the witness who reported his whereabouts to police to sign it, according to the news release.
The affidavit signed by the witness under duress was delivered to Crittenden’s attorney, and a trial was scheduled, according to officials.
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