In a gripping courtroom testimony last week, a former California cannabis worker detailed the harrowing events leading to the murder of a prominent marijuana and tech entrepreneur. The worker stands accused, alongside three others, of the brutal killing, which he claims was provoked by the victim’s oppressive work environment. The multimillionaire CEO, known for running his business with an iron fist, allegedly forced employees to perform pushups in exchange for their paychecks, creating a toxic atmosphere that some say led to his demise.

Kaleb Charters, a 25-year-old ex-member of the U.S. Army National Guard, recounted to the jury an incident where Tushar Atre, the victim, demanded pushups as a condition for receiving pay. “You guys are in the Army. Do 500 pushups,” Charters quoted Atre as saying, shedding light on the tyrannical conditions under which employees labored, as reported by CW affiliate KRON.

Charters is currently facing trial for his role in Atre’s 2019 murder. His testimony highlighted tensions that had been brewing between him, his brother-in-law Stephen Lindsay—also a former National Guard member and already convicted of first-degree murder—and Atre. The conflict intensified when Charters and Lindsay misplaced the keys to a farm vehicle, known as the “Monster Truck,” infuriating Atre just weeks before his tragic end.

The prosecution alleges that the Santa Cruz-based CEO was kidnapped, robbed, and brutally killed after being stabbed and shot. Charters described the chaotic scene, noting that he and Lindsay had been toiling away in the Santa Cruz Mountains, planting cannabis plants for grueling 10-day stretches with minimal compensation of $200 a day. “Tushar was flipping out,” Charters testified, adding that Atre threatened to withhold their checks.

Reports from KRON indicate that Atre’s employees often considered him a tyrant, accusing him of fostering a hostile workplace. Some staff members allegedly joked about retaliating against him, as he frequently hurled abuse, delayed or bounced paychecks, and dismissed workers for perceived slights. These revelations paint a picture of a workplace under siege, offering insights into the lead-up to the CEO’s untimely death.

According to KRON, employees have come forward and accused Atre of creating a toxic work environment to the point where staffers often “joked” behind his back about robbing or hurting him before Atre’s murder. He allegedly yelled at workers repeatedly, withheld and bounced their paychecks, and fired employees if he felt disrespected by them.

“They were humiliated in front of people,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Detective Ethan Rumrill testified in late October, according to KRON.

Sam Borghese, another cannabis worker, took the stand last month and accused Atre of being a boss who “pushed his employees very hard.”

“Did Mr. Atre invoke fear in his employees? (So) people would work harder for him?” Charters’ defense attorney, Thomas Brewer, asked Borghese.

“Yes,” Borghese replied.

Charters is accused of robbing and killing Atre with Lindsay, his brother Kurtis Charters, and their friend Joshua Camps, who was allegedly recruited by the others to take part. The group initially intended to rob Atre of $1 million that he was believed to be keeping at his home in Santa Cruz County, according to prosecutors. His body was later found at one of his Santa Cruz cannabis properties.

Video of an alleged confession that Camps gave to police after his arrest was played in court last week, in which he described how they allegedly murdered Atre.

“We zip-tied his hands, shoved a sock in his mouth,” Camps allegedly said. “I told him no one wants to hurt you, we are just here for your stuff. He kept saying, ‘Who are you guys?’ He didn’t know what was going on. … He was covered in blood. He was saying, ‘Please let me go.’ (Lindsay) was asking, ‘Why are you so mean to people?’”

Camps, who is scheduled to have his trial resume this week, allegedly admitted to stabbing Atre in the neck after he tried to escape. He confessed to shooting him with an AR-15 rifle several times in the jaw and the back of the head afterward to put him out of his misery, according to police.

“He wasn’t going to last much longer,” Camps said on the video shown in court. “I knew he was going to die.”

Camps is still in custody, where he faces several counts ranging from carjacking to murder, online records show. His next scheduled court date is set for Nov. 12. Kaleb Charters is still in custody and appeared in court on Friday, Nov. 7.

Charters is facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carjacking and first-degree murder. Camps is also facing the same charges and is scheduled to be back in court on Wednesday. Lindsay and Kurtis Charters were convicted of murder and both sentenced to life in prison without parole.