A Lancaster man will serve up to 15 years in prison for shooting toward a man in Ephrata, then trying to persuade the victim to lie in court.
Omar A. Colon Jr. was convicted last year of felony counts of carrying a firearm without a license and solicitation to commit perjury, and misdemeanor counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment.
This week in Lancaster County Court, Judge Jeffery Wright jailed Colon for 6 to 15 years.
Colon fired near a male acquaintance of his girlfriend at an Ephrata home on Nov. 9, 2015.
Later, while at Lancaster County Prison, Colon wrote a letter to his girlfriend, which she was to read to the victim. The letter contained directives including a request that the victim not show up for court or provide false testimony if he does show up.
Officials intercepted the letter.
At sentencing Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Travis S. Anderson said Colon opened fire during a “pointless argument.”
“Pointless argument is often an opening scene in a tragedy,” Anderson told the judge, referencing past incidents of gun violence.
Colon apologized, saying the shooting incident was an “overreaction.”
Anderson asked Judge Wright to order consecutive sentences on the shooting incident and the perjury charge, because it was an attempt to “undermine our entire system of justice.”
In the letter, Colon instructs his girlfriend to burn the letter because “the prosecution would love this.”
Judge Wright did order consecutive terms on the separate dockets.
Ephrata police filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright