Detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Atlantic City Police Department arrested an Atlantic City woman and charged her with witness retaliation and terroristic threats for threatening to kill a 17-year-old female for testifying in a 2009 homicide trial in which the defendant was convicted, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel announced.
It is alleged that Shonta M. Deming, 37, of 705 New York Avenue, threatened to kill or have killed the teen as retaliation for providing testimony for the state at trial. It is further alleged that Deming made terroristic threats against the young female by threatening to kill or have her killed with the purpose to terrorize the victim, Prosecutor Housel stated.
Deming was arrested at approximately 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the Atlantic City Police Department. She was transported to the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of $100,000 cash or bond bail set by Superior Court Judge James Jackson.
Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Michael Mattioli and Atlantic City Detective Neil Kane conducted the investigation which led to Deming’s arrest.
“In the current environment in which cooperation with police authorities is viewed by many as a negative thing, this Office will not hesitate to vigorously prosecute those persons retaliating or threatening to retaliate against citizens who have testified in criminal cases. We will remove the threat by removing those persons making the threat,” Atlantic County Prosecutor Housel stated.
Witness retaliation is a crime of the second degree and carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and up to $150,000 in fines. Terroristic threats is a crime of the third degree and carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and up to a $15,000 fine.
