Florida man guilty of Chauvin lawyer threat in Floyd case
In this screen grab from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, defendant and former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, right, and Nelson's assistant Amy Voss, back, introduce themselves to jurors as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides over jury selection in the trial of Chauvin Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. Chauvin is charged in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd.
MIAMI (AP) – A Florida man has pleaded guilty to phoning threats to kill a lawyer who represented the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd.
The U.S. Justice Department said in a news release Thursday that 42-year-old William John Hartnett made the threatening call April 6 from Miami.
Hartnett faces up to five years in prison at sentencing set for Dec. 15. He’s been charged with one count of transmitting a threat through interstate communications.
Prosecutors said Hartnett called the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, which was paying for ex-officer Derek Chauvin’s defense. The 18-second message included several threats against Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lawyer.