LANCASTER COUNTY — A Mount Joy man is facing charges of witness intimidation after police say he made a series of calls to a potential witness against him while he was an inmate at Lancaster County Prison.
Shawn P. Schweers, 46, was recorded four times calling the witness, who was the victim of a prior aggravated assault that Schweers is charged in, according to Mount Joy Police.
The calls were made at 7:22 and 8:25 p.m. on August 7 and 12:05 and 2:42 p.m. on August 8, according to police, who were provided recordings of the conversations by Lancaster County Prison.
In the first call, Schweers is heard telling the victim “Did you tell them you didn’t want charges filed against me?” and “Did you call Mount Joy Police and tell them you didn’t want charges filed against me?” police say. He goes on to state “You need to show up for court. You do. It’s the only way I’m going to get out of this is if you tell them it wasn’t my fault,” according to police.
In the second call, Schweers allegedly says “You have a choice not to press charges on me” and “Can you show up there tomorrow and help me? Please?” In a reference to the upcoming court hearing, Schweers allegedly tells the victim “Show up to the courtroom, talk to the clerk of courts there, and tell them you don’t want charges filed against me.”
He later states “You should tell them you were not in your right head. You should call the police department as soon as I’m done on the phone and tell them you were not in your right head.”
In the third call, Schweers allegedly tells the witness “If the witness in this case, if they don’t testify, it all disappears” and goes on to ask the witness to say they don’t want to testify during the hearing.
In the fourth call, Schweers tells the witness “if you want me to be out, then you need to tell them to quit bothering you, that you’re not giving any statements, and that you have no more comments about it,” police say. He then asks the witness if they’re going to do what he requests, and the witness is heard agreeing.
