Alabama man sentenced for threatening DA Willis, Sheriff Labat in Trump case
Arthur Ray Hanson II (Shelby County Sheriffs Office)
ATLANTA - A Huntsville, Alabama man has been sentenced to federal prison for threatening Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat and District Attorney Fani Willis due to their roles in the investigation and prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Arthur Ray Hanson II, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to one year and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. Hanson pleaded guilty on July 3 to one count of transmitting interstate threats.
"Public servants 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. "We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who diligently worked to ensure public officials are free to perform their essential work without the threat of physical attack."
According to court records, Hanson left threatening voicemails for Labat and Willis on August 6, 2023, through the Fulton County Government customer service line. In his message to Sheriff Labat, Hanson reportedly stated, "If you think you gonna take a mugshot of my President Trump and it’s gonna be okay, you gonna find out that after you take that mugshot, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you." He warned Labat, "Whether you got a [expletive] badge or not ain’t gonna help you none."
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In his message to DA Willis, Hanson warned her to "watch it when you’re going to the car at night, when you’re going into your house, watch everywhere that you’re going," adding, "What you put out there, [expletive], comes back at you ten times harder."
The case was investigated by the FBI. Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, emphasized the seriousness of the threats, stating, "Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process. The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. We take this responsibility very seriously and seek to punish those who engage in this type of criminal behavior, and to send the message that such conduct will not be tolerated."