HARRISBURG, PA — In a ground-breaking verdict, a Berks County man has been sentenced to a prison term of up to 22 years for a chilling attempt to intimidate a witness in a human trafficking case. The announcement was made by Attorney General Michelle Henry.
The man at the center of this shocking case, 34-year-old Dushawn Ellis, had brazenly placed a $20,000 bounty on the head of the witness. He didn’t stop there. In a twisted web of intimidation, he ensured that the terrified victim was well aware of the hit if they dared to testify against him.
After a tense trial in December, a Berks County jury found Ellis guilty on two counts of felony witness intimidation and one count of obstruction of justice. On Monday, the gavel finally fell on his fate as he was sentenced to spend between 8.5 to 22 years behind bars in a state correctional institution.
Attorney General Henry expressed her stern stance against such behavior. She said, “This defendant was willing to use any means necessary to make the charges against him go away.” She commended the courage of the witness and affirmed that the sentence should serve as a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated in Pennsylvania.
The plot thickens as we delve into the details of this case. According to trial testimony, Ellis, while incarcerated at Berks County Prison, approached another inmate who was an acquaintance of the witness. It was there that he unveiled his deadly $20,000 threat.
But Ellis’s campaign of fear did not end there. Using technology available inside the prison, he went as far as to video chat with the witness, ensuring the threat was delivered directly.
While Ellis begins his lengthy prison term, the investigation into the human trafficking case that started this saga is still ongoing.
The Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit was responsible for the investigation, with Senior Deputy Attorney General Erik Olsen leading the prosecution.
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