AG James charges Albany defense attorney with leaking protected witness identity in homicide case

A prominent Albany defense attorney has been indicted for allegedly leaking confidential witness information that triggered violent retaliation in federal prison, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.

Jasper Mills, a former Albany County prosecutor, who was representing a defendant in a high-profile gang-related homicide case, faces multiple felony charges for violating an Albany County protective order in providing copies of discovery material that named two cooperating witnesses.

Shortly after Mills shared the sensitive witness list, a cooperating witness was threatened in federal prison and later slashed with a knife, requiring a hospital stay.

The indictment accuses Mills of “intentionally [causing] serious physical injury” to the witness for the purpose of preventing testimony.

“Jasper Mills allegedly shared witness information that put lives in danger, and my office will hold him accountable,”James said in a news release. “I will not tolerate any illegal tactics that jeopardize criminal investigations and put New Yorkers at risk.”

The leak stems from the murder trial of Vramir Branch, one of four men charged in the 2021 killing of Shanita Thomas. Due to the high risk of gang-related blowback, Acting Albany County Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough issued a protective order strictly prohibiting defense attorneys from sharing discovery materials or witness identities with their clients.

Prosecutors allege that on June 3, 2024, after receiving a sensitive list naming two cooperating witnesses, Mills ignored the court order. Investigators discovered that copies of the witness list—bearing Mills’ “distinctive markings”—were circulated via text message and posted publicly on social media platforms like Snapchat.

On June 5, several armed inmates confronted the witness at the Ray Brook federal prison in Lake Placid where he was incarcerated, telling him that they knew about his cooperation with the government in the trial and that they would kill him unless he left their housing unit. The witness was moved to protective custody.

On Sept. 8, while still under protective custody, the witness was slashed on the wrist with a prison shiv. The injury required hospitalization due to infection.

Mills was arraigned Dec. 30 in Albany Supreme Court. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in jail.