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Justice Obtains Witness Tampering Convictions

Oct. 4, 2004 – The V.I. Justice Department is letting it be known — You tamper with witnesses and you are going to pay.
A jury convicted Kelvin Charles and Nigel Richardson on Sept. 30 of two counts of threatening a witness, third degree assault and conspiracy. The case was tried before Judge Rhys S. Hodge of the Territorial Court. Each charge of threatening a witness carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine not to exceed $2,000. Third degree assault carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $1,000.
Sentencing for Charles and Richardson is Nov. 3.
According to a press release from Alva A. Swan, acting attorney general, Renee Gumbs Carty, assistant attorney general, successfully prosecuted the case. Carty said that Charles and Richardson assaulted and threatened to kill Clayton Battice Jr. on April 19 in Estate Nadir as he was walking home. In her closing argument, according to the release, Carty argued that they tried to prevent or influence Battice's testimony in a pending rape case in which Battice is a witness.
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