An Alabama man has been sentenced to more than a year in prison after leaving threatening voicemails against two Georgia officials investigating and prosecuting former President Donald Trump for possible election crimes, the Justice Department announced this week.
A U.S. District Court judge in Georgia sentenced Arthur Ray Hanson II, of Huntsville, Alabama, to 21 months in prison for making the threats against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Sheriff Patrick Labat in August 2023. Federal prosecutors said Hanson called Trump “my president” in the phone calls left with Fulton County Government customer service and warned the two officials they would face violence if they did not stop investigating Trump.
Hanson made the threats almost a week earlier Trump and eighteen others were indicted by a grand jury in Georgia on the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in an effort to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results for Trump. Federal prosecutors said Willis and Labat have increased security for themselves and their families because of the threats since the indictment.
“Government officials have a responsibility to enforce our criminal laws, and anyone who threatens to harm or intimidate them will face the consequences of their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.
Hanson’s conviction is the latest development facing lawyers, judges and other officials in prosecuting or investigating politicians. Researchers from the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point said in May A preliminary review of the cases between 2023 and 2024 found that federal prosecution of these threats is “on track to reach new all-time highs.” The researchers found that at least 75 people were arrested for making threats in 2023, and that more than 30 people were “subject to federal prosecution” in the first quarter of 2024.
“Threats do not need to be carried out outside of communications to be effective tools for sowing fear among victims and, in particular, for disrupting democratic processes,” researchers note. “Threats against government officials are currently causing significant harm related to American governance, including discouraging individuals from running for public office.”
Man warns lawyer and sheriff about impending deaths
Federal prosecutors said Hanson left a one-minute voicemail for both officials on August 6, 2023. Hanson admitted to law enforcement that the threats stemmed from frustration at seeing Trump’s mugshot.
“If you think you’re going to take a mugshot of my President Donald Trump and it’s going to be okay, you’re going to find out that after you take that mugshot, some bad things are probably going to happen to you,” Hanson said in an interview. voicemail for Labat.
According to court papers, Hanson used “racist, expletive-filled language” when he threatened both Willis and Labat. Both officials are black.
“And you think because you’re a law officer that you’re going to protect yourself, but that’s not the case,” Hanson said in a voicemail for Willis. “It will be bad, and you will regret the day you were ever born good.”
Hanson’s attorneys asked for a lesser sentence because he showed remorse for making the threats and was drinking at the time. They said his previous guilty plea to making threats showed he took responsibility for the calls.
“Mr. Hanson does not remember making the phone calls, but he does not deny making them and accepts full responsibility for his actions,” his lawyers said in the lawsuits.
That hasn’t swayed federal prosecutors. They said in court documents that Hanson has a history of making threats dating back to 2018. In that case, he was convicted of making multiple calls to a business and threatening harm to a person and his job.
Federal prosecutors added that Hanson threatened U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a month after telling agents he would stop making calls. In that phone call, he told the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness that Mayorkas should be hanged, prosecutors said.
“The need to provide general deterrence is especially important in these polarized times, so that others know that if they threaten government officials, they will face serious penalties, including prison sentences,” federal prosecutors said in court filings. “Additionally, this time in jail will protect the public from Hanson continuing to make threatening phone calls.”
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee ultimately sentenced Hanson to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Government officials are threatened when they investigate politicians
Hanson’s threatening messages are not the first in the country. Several people have been arrested or convicted for making violent threats against judges, lawyers and law enforcement officers who prosecute politicians.
Threats have escalated against those working on cases involving Trump.
The The election case against Trump in Georgia has been suspended until an appeal seeking Willis’ disqualification from the racketeering case is resolved. Trump and eight defendants want to overturn Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling, which allowed Willis to proceed with the case despite allegations of misconduct and financial conflicts of interest.
In September, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said this to the Justice Department The staff has faced an escalation of bullying attacks since he took office.
In May, Marc Shultz from Chula Vista, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly threatening Willis. Federal prosecutors said Shultz posted comments on YouTube videos threatening to kill Willis “like a dog.”
Abigail Jo Shry from Alvin, Texaswas arrested in August 2023 for allegedly threatening to kill a judge overseeing Trump’s prosecution. The week before, the FBI shot and killed Craig Robertson of Provo, Utah, while trying to arrest him for posting threats on social media against a Manhattan prosecutor who had indicted Trump and President Joe Biden.
In July 2023, Adam Bies pleaded guilty to 14 charges of making threats against federal officers. He made the threats after FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned a wave of violent threats against the agency following the raid on Trump’s residence and the Mar-a-Lago club.
West Point researchers say threats represent a growing tolerance for violence and extremism facing civic leaders. They advised security services to investigate which sectors face the most common threats, and to strengthen measures to protect these workers from physical violence.
“Without concerted intervention from policymakers, law enforcement and the public, damage to governance systems is likely to increase in the near future,” researchers said.
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: An Alabama man is going to prison for making threats against Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis