Police. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
A Levittown man already facing domestic assault charges in Middletown Township is now accused of trying to intimidate his victim through a series of phone calls made from Bucks County Correctional Facility, according to court documents.
Edward Seitzinger, 46, of the 100 block of Twin Oak Drive, was charged Aug. 20 by Bucks County detectives with multiple counts of felony witness intimidation and related offenses. The charges stem from calls made between April 2 and July 1 while Seitzinger was jailed at the county prison on South Easton Road in Doylestown, police said.
Police said Seitzinger had been arrested March 26 on domestic assault-related charges involving a 54-year-old woman in Middletown Township, Bucks County. When bail was set by the judge, a condition required that he have no contact with the victim.
Investigators said recordings of prison calls revealed otherwise. On April 2, Seitzinger allegedly called the victim and pleaded with her to intervene in his case.
“If they ask you tomorrow, please just get me out of this dude. I’ll do anything, I’ll kiss your feet, I’ll do whatever I’ve got to do,” he said, according to the affidavit.
In another call that day, he allegedly urged her to tell authorities the incident was a mistake and that she had been “caught up in the emotions.”
Over the following weeks, Seitzinger allegedly continued to pressure the woman to contact the District Attorney’s Office and withdraw her statement. On May 2, police said he acknowledged during a call that “they can charge me with more” if he continued contacting her.
Using other inmates’ phones
Despite having his phone privileges suspended by a Bucks County judge following a May 7 hearing, Seitzinger allegedly found ways to communicate with the victim.
Detectives said a May 9 call was made by another inmate, who delivered a message from “Bubby” — Seitzinger’s nickname — instructing her to rescind her statement and avoid attending court. Records confirmed the inmate was sharing a cell with Seitzinger at the time, according to the affidavit.
On July 1, investigators said Seitzinger used another inmate’s PIN to speak directly with the victim, telling her he loved her and could not stay on the line long.
Seitzinger is charged with felony intimidating a witness to give false testimony, felony intimidating a witness to withhold information from police, felony intimidating a witness to elude or ignore a summons, felony criminal conspiracy to engage in witness intimidation, and misdemeanor obstruction of justice, according to charging documents.
Seitzinger is jailed on 10% of $100,000 cash bail in Bucks County and has a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 29 before Magisterial District Judge Mark D. Douple.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
