HARRISBURG, PA — In a recent declaration by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Dushawn Ellis, a 34-year-old resident of Berks County, has been sentenced to a prison term of 8.5 to 22 years. His conviction comes as a result of intimidating a witness involved in a human trafficking case against him.
Ellis was found guilty of employing a $20,000 hit to threaten the witness, intending to deter their testimony. The conviction, delivered in December by a Berks County jury, includes two felony counts of witness intimidation and one count of obstruction of justice. Attorney General Michelle Henry emphasized the importance of protecting witnesses and maintaining the integrity of the judicial process, asserting that such actions against witnesses are intolerable in the state. Ellis had attempted to communicate the threat through a video chat from within the confines of Berks County Prison, leveraging a connection with another inmate acquainted with the witness. The case against Ellis continues to underline the ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, with the investigation still active.