Chubbuck man recently acquitted on rape charge accused of intimidating a witness
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POCATELLO — A man police say made several calls from Bannock County Jail to a witness in his rape trial is charged with influencing the witness’ testimony.
Kenneth Shaye Simmons, 48, has been charged with six counts of intimidating or impeding a witness, court records show.
The Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office contacted the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 17 regarding potential witness intimidation. According to an affidavit of probable cause, Simmons had recently been acquitted on rape charges following a jury trial, but before the trial, Simmons was believed to have intimidated and coached one of the people who testified during the trial.
Detention deputies checked call records made to and from Simmons and reviewed “numerous calls” between Simmons and the witness.
On multiple instances, Simmons can be heard telling the witness that the victim wanted to have sex with him and that they “had a good time.” Some of the things Simmons said during the conversations are described in the affidavit as “coaching.”
“Don’t look like an idiot, smiling all stupidly with a stupid look on your face,” Simmons says to the victim during one of the calls. “I need someone who knows what the f*** they’re saying. … I don’t want to hear you there saying, ‘Well, I don’t know,’ when it’s something you should definitely know, b****, you hear me? … You’ve had all this time, you ugly w****, to get it right.”
After reviewing these calls, the deputy determined that Simmons was intimidating and coaching the witness in preparation for the trial, according to the affidavit.
He is being held at Bannock County Jail on a $50,000 bond with a no-contact order barring him from communicating with the witness.
Though Simmons has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
If he is found guilty, Simmons would face up to 30 years in prison.
He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge R. Todd Garbett.
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