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Five Atlantic County Residents Charged in Alleged Bribery of Witness in Egg Harbor Murder

Egg Harbor City New Jersey

 

Five Atlantic County residents—two of whom are currently serving State Prison sentences for the 2010 murder of an Egg Harbor City mother of two—have been charged for their parts in bribing a witness to commit perjury in that murder trial last year, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

Rafael Olmo, 31, of Egg Harbor City, and Mario J. Adams, 32, of Hammonton—both residing now in the New Jersey State Prison, Trenton, for their parts in the shooting death in 2010 of Deanna Downs, 29, of Egg Harbor City—were charged last Thursday, February 19, 2015, with:

Witness tampering—a 3rd degree crime, by offering money to witness Justin Williams to testify falsely in the murder trial of Olmo and Adams in March 2014,

Bribery—a 2nd degree crime, by paying money to witness Justin Williams to testify falsely, and

Conspiracy—a 2nd degree crime, for conspiring with each other, and with two other persons, to bribe a witness to testify falsely.

Sueheidi Vega, 32, of the 500 block of Chicago Avenue, Egg Harbor City, and Cynthia Gonzalez, 26, of the 300 block of Pitney Road, Absecon, were also charged with:

Witness tampering—a 3rd degree crime, for paying witness Justin Williams for his false testimony on behalf of Olmo and Adams,

Bribery—a 2nd degree crime, and

Conspiracy—a 2nd degree crime, for conspiring with Olmo and Adams to bribe a witness.

Justin Williams, 32, of Atlantic City, was charged with:

Perjury, by testifying falsely under oath, on or about March 4, 2014, during the trial of Mario Adams and Rafael Olmo at the Atlantic County Superior Courthouse, and

Taking a bribe, by accepting money from Olmo and Adams in return for his false testimony during their trial.

Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson set bail on Justin Williams at $50,000 full cash, and set bail on the other four defendants at $100,000 full cash.

Rafael Olmo and Mario J. Adams were served the complaints by detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at the New Jersey State Prison, Trenton, NJ.

Sueheidi Vega and Cynthia Gonzalez were each arrested at their homes by ACPO detectives on Thursday, February 19, 2015, and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of bail.

Justin Williams remains at large, pending his arrest.

Anyone with information about this incident, or with knowledge of the location of Justin Williams, is asked to contact Det. James Scoppa of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at (609) 909-7800.

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