“I Made a Stupid Phone Call”: Alabama Man Sentenced for Threats Against Prosecutor in Trump Case

An Alabama man, Arthur Ray Hanson II, has been sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison after admitting to making threatening phone calls targeting Fani Willis, the Fulton County prosecutor overseeing a high-profile case against former President Donald Trump. The 58-year-old insurance salesman from Huntsville received his sentence on Tuesday, which also included a $7,500 fine, according to federal prosecutors.

Hanson pleaded guilty in July to a charge of transmitting interstate threats. During his hearing, he expressed regret over his actions, telling federal magistrate judge Regina Cannon, “I made a stupid phone call. I’m not a violent person.” He added that he did not fully understand the gravity of his words at the time, stating, “I didn’t knowingly know I was threatening anybody” and claiming he realized the severity of his actions only when FBI agents arrived at his home.

Reflecting on the incident, Hanson explained, “I’m not a lawbreaker. I just lost it.” The threats came amidst heightened national attention on Willis’s election interference case against Trump and his co-defendants. Hanson’s call, placed in August 2023, targeted Fulton County officials by leaving threatening messages directed at both Sheriff Patrick Labat and Prosecutor Willis through the county government’s customer service line.

In his message for Sheriff Labat, Hanson said:

• “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.”
• “If you take a mugshot of the President and you’re the reason it happened, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you.”
• “I’m warning you right now before you [expletive] up your life and get hurt real bad.”
• “Whether you got a [expletive] badge or not ain’t gonna help you none.”
• “You gonna get [expletive]ed up you keep [expletive]ing with my President.”

In Hanson’s message for Willis, he said:

• “Watch it when you’re going to the car at night when you’re going into your house, watch everywhere that you’re going;”
• “I would be very afraid if I were you because you can’t be around people all the time who are going to protect you;”
• “There’s gonna be moments when you’re gonna be vulnerable;”
• “When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder”
• “What you put out there, [expletive], comes back at you ten times harder, and don’t ever forget it.”

The case against Trump and his associates has been a focal point in the media, partly because it involves alleged election interference related to the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutor Willis has been at the center of this legal battle, which is now experiencing its own complications. Recently, a state appeals court put a hold on proceedings, adding further delays. This decision stemmed from questions about Willis’s role in the case after revelations about her romantic relationship with a lawyer she brought in to assist with the prosecution.

The court’s review could potentially impact her standing in the case, and proceedings will remain paused until a panel of judges determines whether her involvement poses a conflict. Despite Hanson’s statements of regret, his sentence serves as a strong response to a wave of threats against public officials tied to high-stakes political cases. Authorities have underscored the importance of addressing these threats swiftly to maintain the integrity of judicial processes.