A Phoenix man who prosecutors say sent threatening emails to Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates will be charged with a misdemeanor and face a prison sentence if convicted, according to a statement Tuesday by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. there is a possibility.
Ryan Stuart Hadland, 44, is accused of threatening to physically harm Gates on November 12, 2022, four days after the midterm elections, according to an indictment filed June 1. was charged with a first degree misdemeanor.
A statement from the Attorney General’s Office said the crime carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Gates, a Republican representing the political purple region from north-central Phoenix to Anthem to New River, announced earlier this month that he would not be seeking re-election in 2024.
Gates and other members of the oversight board faced false allegations of election fraud after the 2020 and 2022 elections. Gates has publicly said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder due to election-related harassment.
Earlier this month, a former Tucson teacher was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for making death threats against Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff). Donald Glenn Brown pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree felony in April.
Writer Sasha Hupka contributed to this report.
