Edward Manseau, of Traverse City, Mich., was charged with making a terroristic threat or false report of terrorism after he allegedly threatened to kill a county prosecutor, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated.
The 57-year-old allegedly told a social worker employed by the Traverse City Police Department in August that he wanted to hire someone to kill the locally elected prosecutor. He later said that he wanted to kill the prosecutor, according to the attorney general’s office.
Manseau was arraigned on Oct. 9 in the 86th District Court with the felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“The number of threats of violence made against elected officials are rising across the country and, sadly, local leaders, even prosecutors, are not immune to this disturbing trend,” Nessel stated.
“These actions cause public servants to live in fear in their own communities for simply doing their job,” she said. “These threats carry significant legal consequences, and my department will continue to prosecute these offenses to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Michigan attorney general’s hate crimes and domestic terrorism unit, established in 2019, is prosecuting the case.
Manseau is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 23 for a probable cause conference. A preliminary examination is scheduled for Oct. 30.
