Hadari Stallworth, a Las Vegas man, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of sending a threatening letter to a federal judge and being involved in an anthrax hoax. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that following his prison term, Stallworth will also be subject to three years of supervised release.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the situation began in June 2022 when Stallworth sent a letter to a District Judge’s office in Las Vegas. The letter included threats to "have my people kill whatever you hold dearly first: pets, kids, grandkids, husband…" and mentioned plans to "kidnap" and "to[r]ture" the judge. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah said, "The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at the FBI and United States Marshals Service will not tolerate these types of criminal actions against a public servant." Law enforcement responded due to the nature of the threats.
On September 30, 2022, Stallworth sent another letter to the Clerk's Office with powder inside, along with the message "This is Anthrax. Now Die Traitors!" The substance was later found to be harmless but was made to look like a dangerous toxin. The Clerk's Office was closed, and staff members were quarantined. "Unlawful threats of violence against public officials directly challenge the integrity of our democracy," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Stallworth pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications and one count of false information and hoaxes. The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Veronda and Melinda Brewer prosecuted the case. Senior District Judge John A. Mendez announced the conclusion of the case, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
