An Ithaca man’s attempt to get himself out of legal trouble may have landed him in even more hot water. Mikhil Nunn, 20, was arrested on Nov. 4 for allegedly trying to bribe the victim to alter his testimony in Nunn’s upcoming robbery trial.
He is charged with tampering with a witness, which is a Class D felony, according to Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson. The Ithaca Journal reported that the witness is a taxi driver who Nunn allegedly robbed.
On April 25, Nunn, along with Prince Griffith, 19, and Jamal Ruff-Pringle, 19, were arrested for allegedly robbing two taxi cabs. Two months later, on June 26, Nunn tried to bribe one of the drivers whom he stole $300 from in April, police say.
According to The Journal, Nunn waited outside Mama Teresa’s pizzeria on Dryden Road between 1 and 2 a.m. and met one of the two cab drivers whom he had allegedly robbed. The driver was there to pick up a customer. Nunn entered the cab and paid his fare up front, and then offered the driver $200 to provide testimony favorable to Nunn at the upcoming trial.
Upon his bribe being rebuffed, Nunn stopped offering money and instead asked for it. The driver denied him a $3 loan and dropped him off at his destination, according to The Journal.
Wilkinson said she could not provide details about an ongoing case. She said, however, that if convicted for witness tampering, Nunn could face up to seven years in state prison.
“Bribing a witness, which is a Class D felony, is a pretty serious charge,” she said. “It’s a pretty serious crime. It puts people in a position to lie about things like evidence.”
Nunn will have a non-jury trial for the robbery charge on Dec. 8. A grand jury date for the tampering with a witness charge has not yet been set.
Both Griffith and Ruff-Pringle pled guilty to robbery. On Nov. 3, Griffith was sentenced to six months in prison and a $2,000 fine, in addition to required restitution. Ruff-Pringle has not yet been sentenced.
Original Author: Joseph Niczky