Here's what we know about Maxwell Anderson's past legal issues
Since appearing in a Milwaukee County courtroom Tuesday, Maxwell S. Anderson has been the subject of increasing scrutiny.
He has been named a person of interest in a case where yet-to-be identified human remains were found in several locations across Milwaukee County in the last week. And although no officials have publicly connected him to the case of missing 19-year-old Sade Carleena Robinson, her family attended Tuesday’s hearing with a victim advocate.
In that hearing, a Milwaukee County homicide prosecutor successfully argued to keep Anderson in custody for another 72 hours as investigators gather more blood evidence in anticipation of criminal charges.
Anderson’s criminal background includes convictions of domestic abuse, disorderly conduct and drunk driving. Court records suggest there have been concerns about his mental health and substance abuse.
Anderson, 33, lives on Milwaukee’s south side. Court records show previous addresses in Oconomowoc, Sister Bay and Boulder, Colorado.
He has worked a number of jobs as a bartender or security at several Milwaukee establishments, most recently at Victor’s Nightclub, 1230 N. Van Buren St., where a manager described him as well-liked and a good worker.
Here’s what to know about Anderson’s criminal background, according to court records:
2014 fight in Delafield
While Anderson was visiting his family from Colorado, a relative returned home from work in July 2014 and found Anderson acting strangely and sweating profusely. He would not answer his relative’s questions.
Eventually, Anderson began screaming and throwing things and shut his relative in a room while he tried calling his father on the phone. When a deputy arrived at the home, Anderson stole his relative’s car and crashed it into a patio when he returned to the home.
He also got into a physical confrontation with another relative. That resulted in the relative breaking multiple ribs. Anderson ended up in the hospital with a broken collar bone.
One relative told investigators she believed Anderson was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Anderson was charged with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty to one count in October 2014. He paid a $416 fine.
During the court proceedings, Anderson changed his address from Boulder, Colorado, to Oconomowoc.
2015 domestic abuse in Egg Harbor
In June 2015, Anderson had been staying in relatives' basement in Egg Harbor for about two months. The relatives told officers they tried talking to him about house rules because he had been coming and going whenever he wanted and wasn't cleaning up after himself.
At one point, a relative suggested Anderson seek help for mental health issues and Anderson reacted violently. He threw a glass, punched a hole in the wall and smashed his relatives’ two cell phones when they tried calling police.
Without a landline phone, a relative then had to go to a neighbor’s house to call the police.
The damage Anderson caused was estimated at more than $1,300.
Anderson was charged with four misdemeanors. In October 2015, he pleaded guilty to three of them: criminal damage to property, intimidating a witness and disorderly conduct, domestic abuse.
He was placed on probation for a year and was required to pay fines and restitution, along with maintaining full time employment or schooling and completing any programs deemed necessary by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
During this time, Anderson reported an address in Sister Bay but eventually changed it back to Oconomowoc.
2019 battery in Milwaukee
In September 2019, Anderson was arguing with a woman on the 2300 block of West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee when a witness tried to intervene. Anderson then attacked the man, and a video showed Anderson on top of him while punching him.
He was charged with two misdemeanors: battery, which was dismissed, and disorderly conduct, to which Anderson pleaded guilty.
He was given one year of probation and ordered to maintain employment, submit to random urine screens, perform 25 hours of community service and pay more than $7,000 in restitution to the victim. Anderson paid the restitution.
At this time, Anderson was living at a south side Milwaukee address that he eventually purchased in 2020, according to property records.
2022 drunk driving incident in West Allis
In January 2022, Anderson was pulled over by West Allis police after an officer saw a vehicle driving about 70 mph in a 30-mph zone and run a flashing red light.
Anderson said he was coming home from work as a bartender and security guard at a Milwaukee bar. A breathalyzer showed a blood-alcohol content of .145, he had an open container in his car and he admitted to drinking alcohol.
It was his second drunk driving offense — the first conviction coming in 2014 in Waukesha County. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.
Anderson was again placed on a year of probation. He was ordered to pay a $350 fine and his license was suspended.
In August that year, Anderson was cited for driving while suspended in Ozaukee County.
That month, at a court hearing, Anderson’s probation agent reported Anderson was testing positive for cocaine, THC and alcohol. A Milwaukee County judge then ordered Anderson to maintain sobriety as a condition of his probation.
In March 2023, Anderson was discharged from probation.
Ashley Luthern, Alison Dirr and Drake Bentley of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Contact Elliot Hughes at [email protected] or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What we know about Maxwell Anderson's previous legal issues
