Mark Radcliffe, Witness Tampering, West Virginia 2016
A Raleigh County man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for witness tampering, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Mark Radcliffe, 60, of Shady Spring, was convicted in October 2016 of conspiracy to tamper with a witness following a three-day jury trial.
Radcliffe was convicted of attempting to corruptly influence witness testimony in an unrelated kidnapping case involving his son, Seth Radcliffe. Seth Radcliffe was facing kidnapping charges in December 2015. Witnesses for the United States testified that Mark Radcliffe directed Jimmie Harper, a codefendant, to take actions to illegally influence Seth Radcliffe’s case.
According to the testimony, Harper and Radcliffe formed a plan to have a witness lie to law enforcement about the kidnapping. Harper also testified that he met with witnesses in Seth Radcliffe’s case in an attempt to influence testimony before a federal grand jury. The meeting took place on January 24, 2016.
Text messages and phone calls admitted into evidence during the trial showed significant communication between Radcliffe and Harper prior to Harper’s meeting with the witnesses. Calls between Seth Radcliffe and Radcliffe also showed extensive communication regarding an unlawful strategy to get Seth Radcliffe’s charges dismissed.
During the sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Irene C. Berger stated that the defendant’s “conduct evidences clear disrespect for the law and criminal justice system,” and that the defendant’s actions “revictimized the target of the kidnapping.”
Raleigh County man Mark Radcliffe was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine for a witness tampering crime. Radcliffe’s son, Seth Radcliffe, was facing kidnapping charges in December 2015. Radcliffe was convicted of conspiracy to tamper with a witness and sentenced to five years in prison.
The West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the North Carolina State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica D. Coleman and Haley Bunn are in charge of the prosecution and tried the case before a federal jury.
Raleigh County man Mark Radcliffe was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine for a witness tampering crime. Radcliffe was convicted of conspiracy to tamper with a witness and sentenced to five years in prison. Radcliffe’s son, Seth Radcliffe, was facing kidnapping charges in December 2015.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →