A Mobile man who pleaded guilty to lesser charges involving an attempt to get drugs and other contraband into Holman Prison has now been charged with a felony county of perjury after testifying under oath that he was the one responsible and his co-defendant had nothing to do with the incident.
Adrain D. Pritchett, 34, with his last address listed as 3010 Riverside Drive, Mobile, now faces a possible prison sentence of 15 years to life if convicted of perjury I.
According to court records, Pritchett and Jeffery Harris, also of Mobile, were arrested on May 9, 2016, outside Holman Prison.
Lt. Michael Banks saw a suspicious vehicle at the prison and said he saw a person exit a vehicle with a gift bag and head into a wooded area. The person, later identified at Pritchett, returned with no gift bag. The prison's K-9 unit was dispatched and found two packages that contained seven cell phones, seven phone chargers, five pairs of ear buds, four packages of Super Glue, a cigarette lighter, five clear plastic bags containing 115 grams of marijuana, New Port cigarettes, and five grams of cocaine.
Pritchett and Harris were arrested and a grand jury returned six indictments charging the men with two counts of attempting to deliver a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of cocaine, attempting to deliver a cell phone to an inmate and criminal trespassing.
Pritchett pleaded guilty to attempting to deliver a cell phone to an inmate and received a reverse spit sentence of 240 months.
After receiving his sentence he agreed to testify at Harris' trial. However, at trial, Pritchett apparently changed his story and said it was all his idea and that Harris had no knowledge of what he was doing that night at Holman Prison. During that time, Harris remained in jail awaiting trial.
At the trial Pritchett denied he went to the prison to deliver the drugs and contraband, saying he went there to pick up the package.
“Jeffery Harris did not know nothing about me going there,” Pritchett testified as Harris' trial. “He was under the impression I was going to a friend's house. And I was giving him directions on where to go. He's a totally innocent man, he didn't know nothing about going out to the scene, nothing like that.”
He mentioned several times that Harris had no idea why he was there and what he was doing and took full responsibility for the crime.
The prosecution also pointed out that Pritchett never said Harris had nothing to do with the crime until after he had reached his plea deal.
Pritchett also said Harris didn't know where Holman Prison was and didn't know they were on prison property at the time. He was asked about the 'big' Holman Prison sign the two passed to get onto prison property, but he said he didn't remember.
“Are you telling this jury that Mr. Harris didn't have anything to do with it?” the prosecution asked.
“No, sir,” Pritchett answered, again saying Harris was completely innocent.
