Demetrius Anderson has been a model citizen in the 13 years since his release from prison, but a sentencing error may send him back
Lawyers are seeking a commutation from President Trump.
After serving three years in prison for identity theft and being released in 2006, Demetrius Anderson may be heading back to jail.
After serving three years in prison for identity theft and being released in 2006, Demetrius Anderson, a Philly native who lives in Connecticut, may be heading back to jail.
The 43-year-old was getting ready for work when he was surprised to find eight federal marshals at his door last week who told him he was under arrest because he failed to serve 16-months in a Pennsylvania federal prison. Anderson told Fox 61 that he believed while he was serving three years for forgery and other charges in Connecticut, he had concurrently served his 16-month federal sentence involving counterfeit money as well as he was released on probation.
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“In federal court, out of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, he was convicted of passing counterfeit currency,” said Attorney Michael Dolan, Anderson’s Hamden based attorney.
According to Fox 61, Federal officials in Philadelphia claimed that they had lodged a detainer with the State of Connecticut, which, Pennsylvania asserts, was supposed to hand Anderson over to them to serve his 16 months back in 2006.
“It’s just so much stuff in my head,” Anderson said on Thursday. “It’s still the unthinkable. It’s just like a bad nightmare that I can’t wake up from.”
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A New Life
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Marshals Service said Anderson’s case was brought to their attention after they went through a routine audit.
According to CNN, Anderson has two jobs, lives in a nice apartment and belongs to a church. Since his release, Anderson reported to his parole officer and lived a crime-free life.
Anderson’s attorney, Michael Dolan, called the incident “cruel and unusual punishment” during an appearance on CNN and posed the question as to why it took so long for the U.S. Marshals to find this oversight. But he and Anderson have put in a request to President Donald Trump to commute his sentence.
“I’m at the mercy of the President right now to help fix this,” said Anderson. “I still have faith in the judicial system that they could rectify it.
Still, Anderson expressed having prevalent fears.
“It’s scary, I’m scared. It’s bleak, it’s dark; I can’t imagine it. I don’t think I could handle it considering what I’m going through,” he said.
Anderson is due to appear in federal court in Philadelphia next Thursday, April 4.
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