City woman, 19, charged with witness intimidation
WOONSOCKET — Police charged a 19-year-old woman with witness intimidation Wednesday after she offered to vandalize a motor vehicle to prevent the victim in an assault case from traveling to court to testify against her mother.
The Special Investigative Unit at the Adult Correctional Institutions, on Feb. 26, recorded a telephone conversation between Alexis Leclair of 20 Boyden St. in which her mother, Crystal Leclair, a prisoner at the ACI, gave her instruc- tions for putting five pounds of gasoline in the assault victim’s car, according to police reports.
“During that conversation placed by Crystal she can be heard stating to
Alexis she was told her her attorney if (the victim) did not arrive in court the case would be dismissed,” Detective Thomas Gormley III’s report says.
“Let me know what you need me to do,” Alexis allegedly responds.
Crystal Leclair went on to explain to her daughter that it would be necessary to place five pounds of sugar in the fuel tank of the victim’s vehicle, and that she must do it by Feb. 28 so the victim wouldn’t detect a mechanical problem before March 1 – the day the trial was supposed to start. The idea, according to Gormley’s report, was for the victim’s car to break down on Route 146 en route to the courthouse.
In addition to intimidating a witness, Alexis Leclair was charged with conspiracy.