A former Phoenix resident who had already been warned by federal agents about his online rhetoric has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for posting death threats targeting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Michael David Hanson pleaded guilty to making threats against the president and successors to the presidency, and on March 2 he received a 27-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Hanson, 44, of Albuquerque, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan. Prosecutors said that on December 22, 2023, he posted: "#joeAndKamala I’m asking you to resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murdered…" and admitted he intended to communicate a threat of violence.
What He Posted And The Federal Complaint
Federal court filings reviewed by Law & Crime state that Hanson used several X accounts in November and December 2023 to post violent messages. Those posts allegedly included calls for the removal or killing of the president and vice president, along with a later message tied to a potential mass shooting at the University of New Mexico. Investigators said they matched images and other identifying details from the accounts back to Hanson, and the complaint notes that he told agents he was "just ranting" and looking for attention.
Investigation And Arrest
An earlier release from the U.S. Attorney's Office credits the U.S. Secret Service and Phoenix Police Department with investigating the case. Agents with the Secret Service interviewed Hanson and warned him that his posts were a federal crime. According to prosecutors, the threats did not stop after that warning, which led to a federal complaint, an indictment, and ultimately the guilty plea that set up this week's sentencing.
Charges And The Law
Prosecutors initially filed a 10-count complaint that included five counts of threats against the president and five counts of interstate communications of threats, as detailed in court filings cited by Law & Crime. Federal law treats those offenses as felonies that carry significant prison time and fines, and the plea and sentencing papers show Hanson acknowledged that his post was meant to intimidate. local coverage of his January arrest previously outlined the early stages of the case.
Where This Fits In A Larger Trend
The case unfolds against a broader backdrop of federal prosecutors and judges treating violent online threats as real-world crimes rather than protected political rage. As the Associated Press has reported, recent sentences in similar cases have leaned into deterrence, citing the risk that digital tirades can inspire actual attacks.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in the office's statement that online death threats "are criminal acts, not protected speech," and the sentence is meant in part to send a message to anyone tempted to post similar content. The U.S. Secret Service reiterated that threats against its protectees will be investigated and prosecuted.
