A Chocowinity man accused of threatening a Pitt County assistant public defender was arrested Monday and is now sitting in jail without any chance of bond. Matthew Lee Bloodworth, 37, is charged with threatening a court officer, and the case involves an allegation that he mailed a threatening letter.
According to WCTI, Bloodworth was taken into custody on Nov. 2 in connection with a threat against a Pitt County assistant public defender. A superseding indictment alleges that he threatened to injure or kill the assistant public defender, and that he also threatened arson and kidnapping.
The indictment further alleges that Bloodworth mailed a letter containing a threat of serious bodily injury, per the same report. The alleged offense is said to have occurred on Sept. 15, 2025, more than a year before his arrest this week.
Indictment Came Months Before Arrest
The superseding indictment itself was issued on Nov. 17, 2025, the station's report notes, meaning months passed between the indictment and Bloodworth's arrest earlier this week. Bloodworth is currently being held at the Pitt County Jail without bond.
North Carolina law does include a statute addressing threats made against public officials, including court officers. North Carolina General Assembly records show that General Statute § 14-16.7, titled “Threats against executive, legislative, court, or local elected officers,” makes it a crime for any person to knowingly and willfully make a threat to kill or inflict serious bodily injury against such an officer.
No additional details on a defense response, a scheduled hearing, or the case's next steps had been made public as of this report.
