FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — An Alabama man was indicted Wednesday after he allegedly threatened to injure both Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat.
A federal grand jury indicted the 59-year-old on charges of transmitting interstate threats. He allegedly threatened the hi-profile officials because of their connection to the 2020 election investigation involving Donald Trump and his co-defendants, officials said.
On Aug. 6, the defendant from Huntsville, Alabama, allegedly called the Fulton County Government customer service line and left a voicemail for Willis in which he allegedly said in part, "Watch it when you're going to the car at night, when you're going into your house, watch everywhere that you're going," the indictment claims.
He is also accused of saying, "When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you're alone, be looking over your shoulder... what you put out there, b----, comes back at you ten times harder, and don't ever forget it."
On the same day, the man is accused of leaving a separate voicemail for Labat in which he allegedly said in part, "If you think you gonna take a mugshot of my President Donald Trump and it's gonna be OK, you gonna find out that after you take the mugshot of the president and you're the reason it happened, some bad s---'s probably gonna happen to you," the indictment alleges.
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.
The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court in Huntsville and will be formally arraigned in Atlanta on Nov. 13, according to a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office out of the Northern District of Georgia.
Over a month ago, an arrest warrant was issued for a person accused of sending racist messages toward Willis. The warrant obtained from the DA's office alleges the person violated Georgia's harassing communications statute by contacting Willis multiple times by using "explicit and racist language."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the case.
“When someone threatens to harm public servants for doing their jobs to enforce our criminal laws, it potentially weakens the very foundation of our society," U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said.