Arthur Ray Hanson II, a 59-year-old man from Huntsville, Alabama, has been sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for making threats against Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat and District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia.
The threats were related to the highly publicized jail mug shot of former President Donald Trump, taken in August 2023 when Trump was booked on state charges over efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Hanson, in voicemails left on August 6, 2023—prior to Trump’s indictment—threatened that harm would come to both officials if Trump’s mug shot was taken or if he was indicted. Alongside these threats, Hanson used racial slurs, underscoring racial tension, as both Labat and Willis are Black.
Prosecutors noted that Hanson referenced the Civil War in one message, stating, this is why the South should have won.
In July, Hanson pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats. In addition to his prison sentence, Hanson was fined $7,500 and will serve three years of supervised release.
His attorney cited intoxication and mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, as contributing factors, arguing that Hanson had since accepted responsibility for his actions.
Despite FBI warnings to stop, prosecutors revealed that Hanson continued making threats, including one against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
FBI Atlanta’s acting special agent, Sean Burke, emphasized that threats against public officials undermine democratic processes.