Two Butler County Prison inmates and a former inmate are accused of conspiring to pay a witness $700 in exchange for dropping charges in a sexual assault case.

Inmates Zantae W. Weltner, 23, of Butler, and Michael E. Buchanan II, 39, of Pittsburgh, were charged alongside former inmate Deontae J. Thompson, 32, of Detroit, with felony and misdemeanor criminal conspiracy last week.

Weltner also was charged with two misdemeanor counts of criminal conspiracy.

Butler County detectives said the charges stem from several phone calls involving the three men that referred to a woman who Weltner was charged with sexually assaulting in April 2022. Police said the attack happened in the parking lot of the 11th Frame Bar & Grille in Butler.

During a preliminary hearing in May 2022, the woman testified Weltner hit her in the back of the head, held her down and assaulted her after she refused to go home with him.

He was charged with felonies attempted rape, aggravated assault and aggravated indecent assault, as well as misdemeanor counts of indecent assault, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint and reckless endangerment.

On these charges, Weltner is being held in prison in lieu of $100,000 bond.

In the affidavit for Weltner’s new case, police said he called Thompson from the prison June 24.

Police said that during the phone call, Weltner stated that he is trying to “get the (redacted) out of here,” and told Thompson that Buchanan would call next.

Buchanan then called Thompson shortly after, and Weltner can be heard in the background, documents showed.

Police said the call consisted of Weltner telling Buchanan what to say to Thompson, with Thompson repeating the information for clarification.

Police said that with Buchanan’s help, Weltner instructed Thompson to persuade the woman not to testify in exchange for $700, and “make all of the charges go away.”

Surveillance footage showed that Buchanan and Weltner were within talking distance during the phone call with Thompson.

The woman’s name was mentioned twice during a series of calls, as well as the $700 figure, documents showed.

Documents show Weltner and Buchanan are being held in lieu of an additional $10,000 bail for the new charges.

Their preliminary hearings before District Judge William Fullerton are scheduled July 31.

Thompson’s preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.