Man Faces Felony Charges For Witness Intimidation In Warrington

WARRINGTON, PA — A man facing charges in connection with a rowdy ride home from the Super Bowl in February can now add witness intimidation to the list of charges.

On June 9, police said Edward James Tharp, 52, of Bensalem, turned himself into police on two additional charges - intimidation of witnesses and criminal use of a communication facility, both third-degree felonies.

On March 24, police were present at District Court for a preliminary hearing involving Tharp on charges that he made terroristic threats, recklessly endangered another person, and committed simple assault and harassment.

The charges stemmed from a rowdy ride home from the Super Bowl during which police said Tharp is accused of threatening other people in the car. The incident was reported to 911 while the vehicle was traveling west on Street Road in the area of Maple Avenue.

When police arrived, the vehicle was parked at a home in the 2800 block of Pickertown Road. During an investigation, police learned that Tharp, a passenger in the car, became aggressive, yelling at the driver, spitting in their face and striking the dashboard.

When another passenger attempted to defend the driver, police said Tharp threatened them,
brandished a handgun, cocked it, and handed the gun to the passenger, stating that upon exiting the vehicle, the passenger would either shoot him or he would knock out the driver and the passenger.

Police recovered a Sig Sauer P220 .45 caliber handgun, a holster, and an extended magazine from the scene. Tharp was arrested and taken to the station for processing, where he was arraigned by Judge
Wertman who set his bail at $50,000 unsecured.

During the March proceedings, police said a victim approached an officer and reported receiving messages from Tharp, which included statements such as:

• “I would never pull the trigger.”
• A plea for the victim not to appear in court.
• A message referencing a possible four-year sentence, asking, “Do you want me to go to jail for four years?”

Based on the new information, a criminal complaint was filed at the District Court with the two additional felony charges.

Tharp was processed and arraigned by Judge Wertman who set bail at $50,000 or 10% cash.