Three people have been charged with attempting to bribe a witness in a pending robbery case, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Police have charged James Williams, 32, of Red Bank, Hideia Bouie, 21, and Ameer Washington, 27, both of Neptune Township, with second degree Witness Tampering. If convicted, they each face a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison.
According to authorities, James Williams is currently under indictment, charged with first degree Armed Robbery arising from a Feb. 18, 2017 incident in Asbury Park. A subsequent investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Williams arranged to have Bouie and Washington approach the victim in that robbery case and offer him money to recant his story.
If convicted of the original charge of first degree Armed Robbery, Williams faces a maximum potential state prison term of 20 years with mandatory 85 percent parole ineligibility under the No Early Release Act (NERA).
The three accused are currently lodged at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. The State has filed a motion to detain all defendants pending a trial on these charges; those hearings are scheduled for Nov. 29, 2017, before a Superior Court Judge. Williams is also currently detained on his prior robbery charge.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin Sidley.