A Lancaster man was recently convicted of stalking a man with a series of threatening calls regarding his termination years ago from a local company.
A Lancaster County jury convicted 61-year-old Lewis T. Watkins of misdemeanor counts of stalking and making terroristic threats regarding the contact in September and October 2016.
The jury deliberated about an hour before deciding the case Tuesday afternoon.
Lancaster County Judge Margaret Miller, who presided over the 2-day trial, will order sentence after a background check is complete.
At the verdict, Judge Miller ordered Watkins’ bail be raised to $100,000.
During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Travis S. Anderson called the victim, co-workers, and police to testify about the threatening calls Watkins made to the victim, director of human resources at the Manheim Township company.
Anderson also played for the jury over a dozen voicemail messages Watkins left for the victim, who was not working for the company when Watkins was terminated in 2012.
Watkins threatened to show up at the business or the victim’s home and doing something to “make the news,” according to testimony.
Watkins repeatedly said he had “nothing whatsoever to lose” and was not concerned about potential consequences of his actions.
The company had to increase security measures at the facility and hired private guards to watch the victim’s home.
Manheim Township police Officer Jared McArthur filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright