COLUMBUS – A federal grand jury has returned two additional charges again a former Columbus vice detective already facing multiple federal and state charges including the shooting death of a 23-year-old woman and forcing women to have sex with him under threat of an arrest.
Prosecutors said Thursday that Andrew Mitchell, 55, is facing additional counts of obstruction of justice and destroying or removing property to prevent seizure.
Court documents claim Mitchell, of Sunbury, hindered the investigation into his federal case by removing documents and clothing from his Columbus apartment in October and destroying property to thwart FBI agents who planned to take it.
Prosecutors claims that Mitchell “knowingly destroyed, damaged or removed property prior to a lawful, court-authorized search conducted by the FBI, thus preventing federal authorities from taking the property into custody.”
Federal agents on Tuesday searched the apartment on Denune Avenue, where authorities claim Mitchell enlisted help in removing and disposing of potential evidence, as well as cleaning items in the apartment with bleach and other chemicals, according to prosecutors.
A message seeking comment was left with his attorney.
Mitchell has pleaded not guilty in state court to killing Donna Castleberry in August after she stabbed him in the hand during an undercover prostitution investigation.
He pleaded not guilty to federal charges contained in a March 11 indictment accusing him of depriving individuals of their civil rights while acting under the color of law by allegedly kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest and forcing those victims to engage in sex for their freedom. He also entered not-guilty pleas to two counts of witness tampering, one count of obstructing justice and one count of making false statements to federal agents.
Mitchell could be sentenced to life in prison for the three charges of holding victims under color of law as well as 35 years for the other charges and 25 more for the additional charges announced Thursday, prosecutors said.