Alabama man who threatened Fani Willis sentenced to 21 months in prison, issues tearful apology

• Arthur Ray Hanson II was sentenced to a twelvemonth and 9 months successful situation for leaving threatening telephone messages for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat.
• Hanson near nan voicemails that prosecutors opportunity were laced pinch profanity and group slurs past summertime erstwhile he was angry astir an investigation into erstwhile President Donald Trump.
• Hanson pleaded blameworthy successful June to leaving threatening telephone messages. He was tearful arsenic he apologized to Willis and Labat astatine Tuesday's hearing.

An Alabama man who near threatening telephone messages for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and nan region sheriff past summertime because he was angry complete an investigation into erstwhile President Donald Trump was sentenced Tuesday to astir 2 years successful prison.

Arthur Ray Hanson II, of Huntsville, made nan telephone calls conscionable complete a week earlier Trump and 18 others were indicted successful Fulton County successful August 2023 complete efforts to overturn nan 2020 statesmanlike election. Federal prosecutors opportunity Hanson near voicemails laced pinch profanity and group slurs for Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee successful Atlanta said he recovered Hanson’s behaviour "appalling" and that nan victims’ fearfulness was "real and legitimate." He sentenced Hanson to service a twelvemonth and 9 months successful prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He besides ordered Hanson to salary a good of $7,500.

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Hanson had pleaded blameworthy successful June to leaving threatening telephone messages. Speaking for astir 10 minutes during Tuesday's hearing, Hanson was tearful arsenic he apologized to Willis and Labat.

"I'm genuinely sorry for making those telephone calls," he said. "That is not who I am."

Willis told nan judge that nan threats near her fearing not only for herself but for nan lives of her daughters and her father. Before she's nan territory attorney, she's a mom, she told nan judge: "Mom was really scared."

Arthur Ray Hanson II of Huntsville, Alabama, was sentenced to astir 2 years successful situation for leaving threatening telephone messages for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat past summertime erstwhile Hanson was angry complete an investigation into erstwhile President Donald Trump. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

Labat besides concisely addressed nan court, saying nan threats exposed his family to "the disfigured broadside of nan job."

Defense lawyer Tyler Wolas told nan judge that Hanson has a history of abusing alcohol. In pushing for a lesser sentence, he besides said Hanson suffers from expansive mal seizures and, aft his arrest, he was diagnosed pinch bipolar disorder. Wolas noted that Hanson had completed an anger guidance people and is regularly attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Three of Hanson's friends and his 19-year-old boy told nan judge that he is simply a bully and generous personification and that those telephone calls don't bespeak nan man they know.

Hanson said he had been drinking and didn't retrieve leaving nan messages. He said he was "repulsed and sickened" erstwhile he heard nan recordings. He said he is not racist, though he acknowledged it mightiness sound that way, and said Willis and Labat did not merit to beryllium threatened.

He utilized to beryllium personification who was a regular commenter online and allowed himself to get caught up successful a "social media frenzy," he said, adding that he has fixed up societal media and stopped drinking.

The Fulton County indictment connected Aug. 14, 2023, was nan 4th criminal lawsuit brought against Trump successful a matter of months and was wide anticipated. When reporters asked soon earlier it was returned whether Trump would person a mug changeable taken if he was charged, nan sheriff said, "Unless personification tells maine differently, we are pursuing our normal practices and truthful it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll person a mug changeable fresh for you."

Hanson called nan Fulton County authorities customer work statement and near voicemails for nan charismatic and nan sheriff connected Aug. 6, 2023. Prosecutors included transcripts of nan messages successful a sentencing memo submitted to nan court.

In a connection for Willis, Hanson warned her to watch out, that she won’t ever person group astir who tin protect her and that location would beryllium moments erstwhile she would beryllium vulnerable. "When you complaint Trump connected that 4th indictment, anytime you’re alone, beryllium looking complete your shoulder," he said, according to nan transcript.

In nan connection for Labat, Hanson threatened nan sheriff, informing him not to return a mug changeable of Trump. "I'm conscionable telling you that if you return a mugshot of nan president and you're nan logic it happened, immoderate bad (expletive)'s astir apt gonna hap to you," nan sound connection said, according to tribunal records.

Hanson's attorneys had asked that he beryllium sentenced to probation and organization work aliases to location confinement alternatively than prison. They noted that his 19-year-old boy lives pinch him and that his mother has been diagnosed pinch terminal crab and has small clip near to live.

Prosecutor Bret Hobson called Hanson's crime "incredibly serious" and said he caused existent harm to nan victims and their families. He asked for nan condemnation that was given, which was astatine nan debased extremity of national sentencing guidelines. He based on that anyone who considers threatening a nationalist official "needs to deliberation situation is simply a possibility."

Boulee said he would person fixed Hanson a longer sentence, but he took into relationship what his lawyers and loved ones said, arsenic good arsenic prosecutors' recommendation. But he made clear that he recovered Hanson's behaviour unacceptable.

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"To adhd reproach to injury, you not only attacked them for doing their job, you attacked them because of nan colour of nan skin," Boulee said. He said nan group slurs successful nan messages were an "attempt to make them consciousness debased and little valued."

Willis said aft nan proceeding that she had forgiven Hanson. She said it was important that nan judge mentioned nan racist quality of nan threats truthful that Black group cognize they tin travel into a courtroom and consciousness protected.

Willis is moving for re-election, and nan lawsuit against Trump is mostly connected clasp while a pretrial entreaty is pending. But erstwhile asked whether she plans to proceed her prosecution if Trump wins adjacent month's statesmanlike election, Willis said she plans to "continue to prosecute each azygous lawsuit successful my office."