A California cannabis worker testified last week about the brutal killing of a marijuana and tech entrepreneur he is accused of murdering along with three others, telling jurors that his death occurred after the multimillionaire CEO created a hostile and torturous work environment that included pushups for pay.
“You guys are in the army. Do 500 pushups,” Kaleb Charters, a 25-year-old former member of the United States Army National Guard, told local CW affiliate KRON on Wednesday about victim Tushar Atre’s payday ultimatum.
Charters, who is currently on trial for Atre’s 2019 murder, testified that he and his brother-in-law Stephen Lindsay — another former National Guard member convicted of first-degree murder earlier this year, along with Charters’ biological brother — had misplaced keys to a farm vehicle nicknamed the “Monster Truck,” and Atre was allegedly furious.
According to authorities, this occurred only two months before the Santa Cruz-based CEO was kidnapped, robbed, stabbed, and shot to death.
“Tushar was flipping out,” Charters testified, recalling how he and Lindsay had recently planted hundreds of cannabis plants in the Santa Cruz Mountains, allegedly working 10 days straight from dawn to twilight for $200 per day. “He was going to cancel the checks.”
According to KRON, employees have accused Atre of creating a poisonous work atmosphere in which subordinates frequently “joked” behind his back about robbing or injuring him before to his murder. He allegedly shouted at staff constantly, withheld and bounced their wages, and fired employees who he felt were disrespectful to him.
“They were humiliated in front of people,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Detective Ethan Rumrill stated in late October, according to KRON.
Sam Borghese, another cannabis worker, testified last month, accusing Atre of being a boss who “pushed his employees very hard.”
“Did Mr. Atre instill fear in his employees?” “So people would work harder for him?” Thomas Brewer, Charters’ defense counsel, questioned Borghese.
“Yes,” Borghese responded.
Charters is suspected of robbing and killing Atre alongside Lindsay, his brother Kurtis Charters, and his buddy Joshua Camps, who was allegedly recruited by the others to participate. According to authorities, the group’s first plan was to steal Atre of $1 million, which he was believed to have at his residence in Santa Cruz County. His remains were eventually discovered at one of his Santa Cruz cannabis sites.
A video of Camps’ purported confession to police following his detention was shown in court last week, in which he explained how they allegedly murdered Atre.
“We zip-tied his hands and shoved a sock into his mouth,” Camps allegedly stated. “I told him no one wants to injure you; we are only here for your belongings. He continued asking, ‘Who are you guys?’ He had no idea what was happening. He was covered in blood. He said, ‘Please let me go.’ (Lindsay) asked, ‘Why are you so cruel to people?'”
Camps, whose trial is expected to resume this week, allegedly admitted to stabbing Atre in the neck when he attempted to flee. According to investigators, he admitted to shooting him many times in the jaw and back of the skull to end his pain.
“He wasn’t going to last much longer,” Camps stated in the footage revealed in court. “I knew he was going to die.”
According to online records, Camps is still in detention and faces a number of charges, including carjacking and murder. His next court date is slated for November 12. Kaleb Charters remains in detention and appeared in court on Friday, November 7.
Charters faces allegations including kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carjacking, and first-degree murder. Camps faces the same allegations and is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. Lindsay and Kurtis Charters were convicted of murder and condemned to life without parole.
