Santa Cruz, CA – Testimony in a California courtroom has revealed shocking new details about the 2019 murder of multimillionaire tech and cannabis entrepreneur Tushar Atre, whose accused killers claim he forced them to do hundreds of pushups for their paychecks before he was allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and shot to death.
Former Employees Describe ‘Toxic’ Work Environment
During testimony last week, Kaleb Charters, 25, a former U.S. Army National Guard member, told jurors that Atre had created what he called a “hostile and humiliating work environment.” Charters, who is currently on trial for murder, claimed that just weeks before Atre’s death, he and his co-workers were ordered to “do 500 pushups” as punishment after losing keys to a company vehicle nicknamed the Monster Truck.
“You guys are in the Army. Do 500 pushups,” Charters recalled Atre telling him and another worker. The men, who had been working 10 days straight planting cannabis plants, said they were each earning $200 a day, and Atre had threatened to cancel their checks over the incident.
According to court testimony, several employees described Atre as a demanding and volatile boss who often yelled at staff, withheld paychecks, and fired workers for minor disagreements. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Detective Ethan Rumrill testified that multiple employees felt “humiliated in front of people.”
Another worker, Sam Borghese, also took the stand and said Atre frequently invoked fear to get results. “Did Mr. Atre invoke fear in his employees so people would work harder for him?” asked defense attorney Thomas Brewer. “Yes,” Borghese responded.
Kidnapping and Murder Plot Unfolds
Prosecutors allege that on October 1, 2019, four men — Kaleb Charters, his brother Kurtis Charters, Stephen Lindsay, and Joshua Camps — kidnapped Atre from his home in Santa Cruz County with the intention of robbing him of $1 million they believed he had hidden.
According to authorities, Atre was zip-tied, beaten, and taken at gunpoint before being transported to one of his cannabis properties. His body was later found there, showing signs of stabbing and multiple gunshot wounds.
In a recorded police confession shown in court last week, Camps allegedly described the brutal final moments of Atre’s life.
“We zip-tied his hands, shoved a sock in his mouth,” Camps said in the video. “He was covered in blood and kept saying, ‘Please let me go.’ Lindsay was asking, ‘Why are you so mean to people?’”
Camps claimed that after Atre attempted to escape, he stabbed him in the neck, and later shot him several times in the jaw and head with an AR-15 rifle to “put him out of his misery.”
Trial Developments and Sentencing Status
Two of the suspects — Stephen Lindsay and Kurtis Charters — were convicted of first-degree murder earlier this year and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Kaleb Charters and Joshua Camps remain in custody and are still facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carjacking, and first-degree murder.
Court records show that Camps’ trial is scheduled to resume on November 12, while Charters appeared in court on November 7. Prosecutors continue to argue that the killing was motivated by greed and that the men meticulously planned the robbery before turning it into a murder-for-money scheme.
A Tragic End to a Turbulent Relationship
Before his death, Atre was known in the Santa Cruz community as a successful entrepreneur who managed both a tech company and multiple cannabis operations. However, testimony from several employees has painted a picture of a workplace filled with intense pressure, verbal abuse, and resentment.
Detectives testified that Atre’s employees often “joked about robbing or hurting him” due to the ongoing tensions, which prosecutors believe may have fueled the violent crime that ended his life.
Community Shock and Ongoing Questions
The brutal nature of the murder — coupled with the allegations of workplace abuse — has left Santa Cruz residents stunned. As the trials continue, both sides are presenting conflicting portrayals: the defense claims the suspects acted under psychological distress caused by Atre’s behavior, while prosecutors insist that the men executed a cold-blooded and calculated killing for financial gain.
The outcome of the remaining trials will determine whether justice is finally served in one of California’s most disturbing employer-employee murder cases in recent years.
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