A Keyport man and his girlfriend have been indicted after police say they attempted to bribe the victim of a violent sexual assault to prevent her from cooperating in his prosecution, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Wednesday.
Kareem Lee, 32, and Erin Logan, 31, are each charged with second-degree conspiracy and second-degree bribery of a witness, Santiago said. Lee was also charged with first-degree armed robbery, first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two related second-degree weapons offenses.
On Thursday, July 21, 2022, around 2:30 p.m., Tinton Falls Police were dispatched to a motel on Route 33, the announcement said. When they arrived, the victim told officers that she had been sexually assaulted at gunpoint by a man who entered her room.
An investigation identified Lee as a suspect, said Santiago, and he was found and arrested by Red Bank Police in Count Basie Park the next day.
Further investigation determined that on various dates in October and November, Lee, Logan and a third person offered cash to the victim in exchange for a signed and notarized document stating that she did not wish to pursue the case against Lee, said Santiago.
Logan was subsequently arrested on the bribery and conspiracy charges in December 2022.
Lee and Logan are both detained at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, awaiting court proceedings, the announcement said. Convictions on first-degree criminal charges can be punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and second-degree crimes can result in up to 10 years.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is urging anyone with information regarding this matter to contact Detective Dawn Correia at 800-533-7443 or Tinton Falls Police Department Officer Christopher Mills at 732-542-4422.