NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FEDERAL LAWYERS
Can you go to prison for witness intimidation
|Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group. We’re a second-generation law firm managed by Todd Spodek, with over 40 years of combined experience defending clients in federal cases that most firms won’t touch. You’ve probably heard about some of the cases we’ve handled — the Anna Delvey Netflix series, the Ghislaine Maxwell juror misconduct case, the Alec Baldwin stalking allegations. We take on complicated federal matters when everything’s on the line.
This article breaks down federal witness intimidation charges — what the law actually says, what prison time people are getting in 2025, and why federal prosecutors treat these cases like they’re defending democracy itself. If you’re facing this charge or think you might be, understanding how aggressively the government prosecutes witness tampering could be the difference between a plea deal and decades in prison.
Yes, You Can Go to Prison for 20 Years
Federal law doesn’t mess around with witness intimidation. Under 18 USC 1512, threatening or intimidating a witness gets you up to 20 years in federal prison. That’s the maximum — but it’s not theoretical. Christopher Lee Carroll got 108 months (9 years) in February 2025 for threatening witnesses in a bank fraud case. Terry Leon Blankenship got 12 years in May 2025 for witness tampering connected to sex trafficking. Hugo Romero in Idaho got 9 years for intimidating a witness, even though he pleaded guilty.
The statute covers three basic forms of conduct. Threatening someone to influence their testimony — that’s 20 years maximum. Corrupt persuasion to change or withhold testimony — also 20 years. Even harassment that prevents someone from testifying gets you 3 years. And here’s what people don’t realize: you don’t actually have to succeed in shutting the witness up. Attempted witness tampering carries the same penalties as completed tampering.
Federal judges aren’t handing out probation for these cases. Anthony Ortiz in Pennsylvania got 4 to 13 years in June 2025 for strangulation and witness intimidation combined. A Baltimore man got 60 years — yes, 60 years — in June 2025 for four counts of felony witness intimidation. When the government proves you tried to corrupt their case by silencing witnesses, they’re putting you away for a long time.
What Actually Triggers Federal Charges
The DOJ prosecutes cases involving federal proceedings — trials in federal court, grand jury investigations, congressional hearings. The statute protects actual witnesses and potential witnesses, which means you can get charged even before someone officially testifies.
Direct threats are obvious, but corrupt persuasion is broader than people think. Offering money to change testimony counts. Asking family members to pressure a witness counts. Even destroying evidence to prevent someone from testifying about it falls under the statute.
Donald Eugene Cooks got 92 months (about 7.7 years) in March 2025 for witness tampering connected to mail theft. Federal prosecutors stacked witness tampering charges on top of the underlying offense because Cooks tried to prevent people from cooperating. You’re already facing charges, you try to stop a witness from talking, and suddenly you’re dealing with 20 more years.
How Sentences Get Worse Fast
Violence or threats of physical force bump your exposure significantly. The statute has a special provision — if you use physical force or attempt to kill a witness, you’re facing 30 years to life. Cory Spurlock in Montana was convicted in September 2025 of “tampering with a witness by killing.” He faces life in prison at his December 2025 sentencing.
Connection to other serious crimes matters enormously. Terry Leon Blankenship’s 12-year sentence wasn’t just for witness tampering — it was tampering in a sex trafficking case. When you’re interfering with a federal investigation into violent crimes, trafficking, or organized crime, judges see you as someone trying to corrupt justice in the most serious cases. Laurel Blankenship, who conspired with Terry, still got 2 years even though her role was less direct.
Obstruction during your own trial adds another layer. If you’re on trial and you start intimidating witnesses while court proceedings are happening, federal sentencing guidelines add a 2-level enhancement under §3C1.1. That enhancement alone can add years to your sentence. Michael Abramson, a Chicago attorney, got 30 months in August 2025 partly because he attempted to tamper with witnesses and violated court orders during his own prosecution.
Prior convictions factor in heavily. Gregory Allen King in California faces up to 19 years after his April 2025 conviction for witness intimidation — partly because he had a prior drive-by shooting conviction. Judges look at criminal history and say “you already knew better, you did it anyway.”
State vs. Federal Cases
Witness intimidation gets prosecuted at both levels, but federal cases carry harsher penalties. State charges vary — California can charge aggravated witness intimidation with penalties from 7 years to life under the three-strikes law.
Cases go federal when they involve federal proceedings, federal officers, or interstate conduct. If you use interstate communications — texts, calls, emails across state lines — to intimidate witnesses, prosecutors can bring federal charges even if the underlying case started in state court.
Federal prosecutors have more resources, longer sentences to work with, and less incentive to plea bargain down. They’re protecting the integrity of federal proceedings. They don’t budge easily.
Why the Government Prosecutes These Cases So Hard
The criminal justice system collapses without witnesses. Federal prosecutors know this. Every drug trafficking case, every fraud prosecution, every organized crime investigation depends on people being willing to testify without fear. When defendants start threatening witnesses, they’re not just committing another crime — they’re attacking the system itself.
DOJ policy treats witness intimidation as a direct assault on justice. That’s why you see sentences like 60 years for multiple counts. Judges stack these charges on top of underlying offenses instead of running them concurrent. The Justice Manual guidance makes clear that prosecutors should pursue these cases vigorously.
Federal judges see these cases as particularly cowardly. You’re already facing charges, already looking at time, and instead of accepting responsibility you’re threatening people who are just telling the truth. Judges don’t have sympathy for that.
At Spodek Law Group, we’ve defended clients in obstruction cases where prosecutors wanted to add witness tampering charges. The key is stopping this before it starts. Once you’re charged with threatening witnesses, your credibility is destroyed. Judges assume you’re guilty of the underlying crime — why else would you try to silence witnesses? — and they assume you’re dangerous. Your bail gets revoked. Your plea offers disappear. Your sentencing exposure doubles or triples.
If you’re under federal investigation, don’t contact witnesses. Don’t ask family members to contact witnesses. Don’t post about witnesses on social media. Don’t do anything that prosecutors could twist into witness intimidation. And if you’re already charged with tampering, you need experienced federal defense attorneys who understand how prosecutors build these cases and how to challenge their evidence.
The cases from 2025 show one thing clearly: federal courts are sending people to prison for years — sometimes decades — for witness intimidation. The government prosecutes these cases aggressively because they see witness tampering as an existential threat to federal prosecutions. If you’re facing these charges or think you might be under investigation, the time to get serious legal help is right now, not after you’re indicted.