Woman Arrested, Charged With Following Juror In Brother's Trial

BIRMINGHAM, AL - A Birmingham woman has been arrested after authorities say she photographed and followed one of the jurors in her brother's trial on drug charges. Veranda Renee Harris, 59, was taken into custody Tuesday.

A statement by U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr., and U.S. Marshal Marty Kelley said Harris is charged federally with obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal law enforcement.

Harris is the sister of Derrick “Dolomite Derrick” Johnson, who was on trial in October last year. A report by WVTM said the charges stem from an incident that happened Oct. 29, 2018 following a guilty verdict against Johnson on drug charges.

Authorities said Harris followed and photographed a juror in the employee break room at the juror’s workplace. Following the incident, Harris was interviewed by representatives of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service about her contact with the juror. During the interview, Harris continued to deny the juror’s allegations, despite being confronted with evidence from audio and video recordings.

“Jury service is one of the most important duties of a United States citizen, and trial by jury is one of the most important concepts of our government,” U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town said. “We take very seriously those who try to impede, influence, or intimidate jurors, whether before, during, or after trials.

Harris faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for for obstruction of justice.