November stalking charge also listed in court documents

Keith Colwell (Rochester Police photo)

LEBANON - A Lebanon man has been indicted on a felony witness tampering charge that carries a prison sentence of up to seven years.

Keith Colwell, 20, of 14 River Road, stands charged in the Nov. 27 incident, in which he is alleged to have " ... believing that an investigation was pending he purposely attempted to induce or otherwise cause a person to testify falsely and/or withhold any testimony when he messaged (a female) and asked her if she was 'going to go to court and say it was out of spite,'" according to court documents.

In addition to the felony charge, Colwell was also charged with stalking the same individual indicated in the felony indictment, a Class A crime punishable by a year in county jail.

According to court documents Colwell had been served a protection order not to have contact with the female in question, but later communicated with her on Facebook. The incidents are said to have occurred in Rochester.

The grand jury indictments were handed down on June 16 and released on Wednesday.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.