MICHIGAN WOMAN INDICTED ON CHARGES OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND LYING TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced the indictment of a Midland, Michigan woman by federal grand jury regarding evidence-tampering charges. The grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned an ten-count indictment charging Sandra M. Anderson, a cadaver dog handler, with planting human remains and crime trace evidence during her participation in law enforcement searches for deceased persons and related misconduct.

The indictment charges Anderson with five counts of falsifying and concealing material facts from federal law enforcement officials (18 U.S. Code, Section 1001). Additionally, the indictment charges three counts of obstruction of justice (18 U.S. Code, Section 1512), and two counts of lying to law enforcement officials (18 U.S. Code, Section 1001) in her alleged efforts to cover up evidence during the federal investigation of her conduct.

Anderson gained national prominence for her claims of discovering human remains in law enforcement searches throughout the United States and Panama, before the FBI arrested her during an April 2002 law enforcement search in the Huron National Forest.

The indictment specifically alleges that Anderson planted human remains and fiber evidence at the Huron National Forest search on April 17 and 18, 2002, as well as human remains during a search in the Proud Lake Recreation Center on January 4, 2002. Additionally, Anderson allegedly attempted to obstruct justice shortly after her April 18, 2002 arrest and the federal search of her home by delivering human remains to a local law enforcement officer, along with false assertions about how she had acquired the human remains, and then attempting to persuade two co-workers to write false reports to corroborate her story. Finally, Anderson allegedly made false representations to federal investigators after her conduct was detected at Huron National Forest on April 18, 2002 and later during a proffer session in May 2002, where she was afforded the opportunity to provide truthful information regarding her participation and conduct during searches.

The indictment alleges that Anderson lied when she told federal investigators that she had never planted evidence and had always legitimately found evidence of human remains, when in fact, she had planted evidence in five other searches - Delta, Ohio; Plymouth, Michigan; Monroe County, Michigan; Lindsey, Ohio, and Bay City, Michigan; as well as in the Huron National Forest and Proud Lake Recreational Area searches.

“This investigation is an example of the value of close coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies,” said J. Michael Wiggins, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “It could not have been successful without substantial support and significant assistance from a large number of state and local law enforcement agencies, primarily in Michigan and Ohio, as well as other federal resources.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, as well as attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan jointly investigated the matter.

The state and local agencies who assisted in this investigation include the Michigan State Police; Ohio State Highway Patrol; Oakland County, Michigan Sheriff Department; Oscoda Township, Michigan Police Department; Bay City, Michigan Police Department; Plymouth, Michigan Police Department; Monroe County, Michigan Sheriff Department; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation; Toledo, Ohio Police Department; Fulton County, Ohio Sheriff Department; Caddo Parish, Louisiana Coroner's Office; Shreveport, Louisiana Fire Department; Oakland County Homicide and Major Crime Task Force and the Armed Forces Institute of DNA in Maryland.

“Evidence tampering is a serious matter, and the investigation regarding Sandra M. Anderson continues,” said Willie T. Hulon, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit office. “I would like to take the opportunity to commend all the law enforcement agencies involved for their assistance and support throughout this investigation.”

If convicted Anderson could face a statutory maximum sentence of sixty-five years incarceration, fines, as well as be required to make restitution to the victims of her alleged misconduct.

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