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ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Tobias Lynn Bennett, 41, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, with witness tampering, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Bennett is charged with two counts of “Witness Tampering - Aiding and Abetting." A West Virginia State Police investigation revealed that, while incarcerated at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail in Belington, West Virginia, Bennett discouraged two potential witnesses from testifying at a fellow inmate’s sentencing hearing.
Bennett faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
