An Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted a Camden County man on three witness tampering charges; a first-degree and two second-degree counts, for allegedly sending letters to a victim of a 2009 armed robbery in Atlantic City, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel stated.
It is alleged that Dashand Chase, 21, robbed a woman at gunpoint on Aug. 4, 2009 in the Bally’s Park Place parking garage. Chase was indicted on one count of armed robbery and related offenses in January of 2010. Nearly a year later the victim received an anonymous letter at her residence, which threatened violence against her and her family should she assist in the prosecution of the armed robbery, according to Assistant Prosecutor Mario Formica who is handling both the robbery and the witness tampering cases for the prosecution.
Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Detectives retrieved the letter and were able to attribute it to another individual who wrote it at Chase’ behest. That individual provided detectives with a statement stating that Chase offered him a benefit to write the threatening letter and send it to the victim. Chase was then charged with witness tampering in January of 2011. In February of 2011 Chase sent the victim another letter. This time he signed his name and offered to give her $150 to withhold testimony in the robbery case. Lastly, in February of 2011 also, Chase sent his acquaintance a letter asking him to recant the information he provided to the Prosecutor’s Office, stated Assistant Prosecutor Formica.
A first-degree crime carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to $200,000 in fines. A second-degree crime carries up to 10 years in prison and $150,000 in fines.
