NEWARK, NJ – A New Jersey man who was scheduled to turn himself into the custody of the state forged a medical note in an attempt to influence the judge to extend his surrender. Robert Alexander, 45, of Newark, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti ib the charge of obstruction of justice.
According to court records, on Jan.14, 2019, Alexander pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of making a false statement on a loan application in a criminal case that was pending before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson. On Sept. 4, 2019, Judge Wolfson sentenced Alexander to 46 months in prison.
Then, on Oct. 8, 2019 – the day before Alexander was scheduled to voluntarily surrender to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence – he caused a forged medical note to be submitted to Judge Wolfson in support of a request to delay the date of his voluntary surrender.
“The forged medical note contained falsified information and was submitted with the specific intent to influence and impede Judge Wolfson in the discharge of her duties as the judge presiding over his case. At the time of the offense, Alexander was on pre-trial release,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement regarding the case. “The obstruction of justice count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.”