An Alabama man, Arthur Ray Hanson, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta on Monday. He faced charges for threatening Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis due to her prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Hanson, aged 59, was charged with transmitting threats across state lines to harm both Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat. Labat oversees the jail where Trump was processed in August after being indicted for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.
Hanson made an initial court appearance in Huntsville federal court in Alabama and will be brought to Atlanta for an arraignment next month.
According to court records, Hanson called the Fulton County customer service line twice in August, leaving two voicemail messages containing threats of violence against Willis and Labat.
Court records quoted Hanson as saying in one of the messages, “Be vigilant when going to your car at night or entering your house, and be cautious wherever you go.
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I would be very concerned if I were you because you can’t always have people around to protect you; there will be moments when you’re vulnerable. Especially when you charge Trump with that fourth indictment, be watchful when you’re alone.”
U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan stated, “Sending threats across state lines to physically harm prosecutors and law enforcement officers is a despicable act designed to interfere with the administration of justice and intimidate those who have a solemn duty to protect citizens’ rights.
When someone threatens public servants for doing their job in enforcing our criminal laws, it threatens the very foundation of our society.”
In August, Trump, along with 18 others, pleaded not guilty to all charges in a broad racketeering indictment related to their alleged efforts to overturn Georgia’s election results. Four defendants later accepted plea deals in exchange for cooperating as witnesses in the case.
The former president has criticized the district attorney’s investigation, characterizing it as politically motivated.
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