St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery, who was already facing federal civil rights charges, was ordered to jail on Tuesday after a judge ruled that house arrest was no longer enough to prevent him from allegedly attempting to intimidate witnesses.
Montgomery now faces additional federal counts of witness tampering and retaliation. Prosecutors claim he used a burner phone to contact and influence witnesses while confined at home pending trial on earlier charges, according to WJBK.
The sheriff was first indicted on August 28, accused of unlawfully detaining the city’s acting jail director after she refused to grant him access to a rape victim for an interview, St. Louis Magazine and the St. Louis American reported.
Federal prosecutors further allege that Montgomery retaliated against employees who gave depositions, citing recordings in which he said certain staff “definitely gotta go” and threatened to “knock [someone] out with one punch.” They also accuse him of misleading officials about his marijuana use and the number of firearms in his home — claiming he reported owning five guns, though officers later found 14.
“I fear you are going to continue to cause these problems,” U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Bodenhausen said in court Tuesday, revoking Montgomery’s house arrest just one week after allowing him to remain in office under those conditions.
Montgomery’s attorney, Justin Gelfand, maintained that his client is innocent and said the defense plans to appeal. Retired Judge David Mason, representing the sheriff’s office, also defended Montgomery, calling the accusations politically driven and procedurally flawed.
Meanwhile, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green both called for Montgomery’s resignation. Col. Yosef Yasharahla, a close associate of Montgomery, has been appointed interim sheriff “until further notice,” according to an official statement posted on the sheriff’s Facebook page.