California Cannabiz Worker Convicted of Brutal CEO Murder After “500 Pushup” Paycheck Punishment
CALIFORNIA — A California cannabis worker who once said he was “humiliated” after being forced to do 500 pushups just to receive his paycheck has now been convicted in the brutal killing of multimillionaire CEO Tushar Atre. Prosecutors say the murder was carried out at the very same cannabis farm where the abuse reportedly happened — a place coworkers described as a toxic pressure cooker controlled by an explosive boss.
Kaleb Charters, 25, a former National Guard member, was found guilty this week of murder, kidnapping, burglary, and related charges for the 2019 killing, in a case that prosecutors argue spiraled from intimidation, workplace cruelty, and failed robbery plans into a graphic killing.
Toxic Cannabis Workplace Where “Humiliation” Was Routine
Testimony revealed a disturbing environment on Atre’s Santa Cruz cannabis properties. Workers claimed he routinely yelled at employees, withheld paychecks, and forced them to earn wages through degrading punishments.
Charters testified that after he and coworker Stephen Lindsay misplaced keys to a farm vehicle, Atre told them:
“You guys are in the Army. Do 500 pushups.”
The men had reportedly been working 10-day stretches from dawn to dusk for $200 per day, according to local reporting, and said Atre threatened to cancel their checks if they didn’t comply.
Employees later told investigators that Atre’s behavior was so hostile that some joked privately about robbing him long before plans turned real.
The Failed Robbery That Turned Into a Grisly Murder
Two months after the pushup incident, Charters, Lindsay, Charters’ brother Kurtis, and Joshua Camps planned a robbery targeting Atre’s home. What prosecutors say happened next was chaos:
- The men entered Atre’s home in October 2019
- Atre fought back and tried to escape
- Lindsay allegedly tackled him
- Camps repeatedly stabbed him
- The men zip-tied Atre, shoved a sock in his mouth, and forced him into a BMW SUV
Atre’s blood was later found smeared throughout the vehicle.
During the group’s attempts to control him, prosecutors said Atre begged for his life.
“Please let me go.”
They ultimately drove Atre to one of his own cannabis farms — the same one where the workers said they had been humiliated — a detail prosecutors emphasized was no coincidence.
“It’s fitting where they chose to take him to,” Assistant District Attorney Michael McKinney argued.
Final Moments: Stabbing, Shooting, and a Chilling Confession
Camps, who awaits trial, described in a recorded confession how Atre was beaten, stabbed, and shot after multiple attempts to escape.
He told detectives:
“I knew he was going to die.”
According to investigators, Camps admitted shooting Atre in the jaw and back of the head with an AR-15 to end his suffering.
Charters claimed he didn’t plan for Atre to be killed, but prosecutors said all four men were equally responsible for the deadly attack.
Lindsay and Kurtis Charters have already been convicted and sentenced to life without parole. Camps faces murder, kidnapping, burglary and carjacking charges in his upcoming trial.
A Murder Rooted in Abuse, Control, and Vengeance
During closing arguments, prosecutors said Charters was driven by humiliation and anger — a desire to get even with a man who weaponized power over young workers.
Detectives testified that multiple employees described Atre as someone who used fear to get compliance. One worker told jurors Atre “pushed people too hard” while constantly threatening job security.
What began as workplace cruelty and simmering resentment escalated into a violent killing that authorities say was planned, coordinated, and brutal.
Charters now faces a lifetime in prison.
Have thoughts on this case? Share your take and join the conversation at ChicagoMusicGuide.com.