PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED MAN NOW STANDS CONVICTED IN AN ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE JURY
" Morris County Jury Convicts Man For Attempting To Influence Jury During His November, 2015 Aggravated Sexual Assault Trial."
December 21, 2021 By Art Fletcher Reporting For: Englebrook Independent News,
MORRISTOWN, NJ.- On Monday, December 20, 2021 Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker, and Morris County Sheriff James Gannon announced that a Morris County Jury has returned a Guilty Verdict against Andrew Pena, 54, on Third Degree Corrupting a Jury; Third Degree Conspiracy to Corrupt a Jury; Fourth Degree Obstruction; and Fourth Degree Conspiracy to Commit Obstruction.
The Charges are in connection from an incident that occurred in November 2015 while Mr. Pena was on trial for Aggravated Sexual Assault and Related Offenses that occurred in 2007. During the November 2015 trial, an investigation began into attempts by Mr. Pena to influence that jury and obstruct the administration of law. The investigation ultimately determined that Mr. Pena had conspired with another individual, Michael Campbell formerly of Wharton, New Jersey, to distribute information that was previously deemed inadmissible during trial, in an effort to influence the jury. Confidential police reports, provided to Mr. Pena in accordance with the Rules of Court, were duplicated, altered, and then disseminated in the vicinity of the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown, New Jersey.
In 2015, both Mr. Pena and Mr. Campbell were Charged in connection with the alleged Jury Tampering Incident. In February 2016, Mr. Campbell entered a Guilty Plea to Fourth Degree Obstruction related to the incident. The charges against Campbell were dismissed in 2018 following his death.
The charges against Mr. Pena were tried before the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata and a Jury between December 9, 2021 and December 16, 2021. The State was represented at trial by Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Sandler. At Mr. Pena’s request, he was permitted to proceed pro se and represent himself at trial. The jury returned its verdict on December 16, 2021.
Mr. Pena is scheduled to be sentenced for the Jury Tampering and related offenses on February 25, 2022. He is currently serving a Twenty Nine Year, Four Month Sentence of incarceration stemming from the previous convictions for Aggravated Sexual Assault and related crimes. He remains in Custody in The New Jersey State Prison system.
FILED UNDER DECEMBER 21, 2021: LAW, MORRIS: