Former jail guard faces drug charges

YOUNGSTOWN — A fired corrections officer at the juvenile detention center, who was arrested on three counts of cocaine trafficking, will be arraigned today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Robert G. Anderson, 36, of North Bruce Street, was fired Thursday from his job at Mahoning County’s Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center after his arrest Wednesday.

The charges, pertaining to drug sales alleged to have occurred Oct. 4 and 6 and Nov. 3, 2006, are contained in a secret Dec. 13 county grand jury indictment. Attached to them are forfeiture specifications for three cars allegedly used in the drug trafficking.

Anderson’s arraignment will be at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Timothy E. Franken. If convicted on all counts, he faces two to 18 years in prison.
“Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the emphasis of the juvenile court on protecting the youth of the community and the youth in detention, and to show how seriously we take this, we have terminated Mr. Anderson,” said Anthony D’Apolito, juvenile court administrator.

The county hired Anderson in June 2003, and his salary for 2007 was $30,742.

Members of the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force stopped Anderson about 5:40 p.m. as he got off Interstate 680 at High Street and confiscated from him a 9 mm pistol, for which he had a concealed-carry permit.

Anderson sold drugs all over the city starting in 2006, but not at JJC, said Patrolman Bob Patton of the city police, who is a task force member. More arrests in this case are pending, Patton added.