A Charlevoix County jury has found Jonathon Stewart, 33, of Atlanta guilty of and malicious use of an electronic communication device.
According to Charlevoix County Prosecuting Attorney Allen Telgenhof, the trial took two days and the jury deliberated for less than an hour before providing a verdict.
Three Charlevoix County employees testified that Stewart placed four phone calls to the Charlevoix County Building on June 10, in which he berated and threatened county employees, as well as used obscenities and vulgarities about those employees.
Telgenhof states that Stewart left a voicemail for one employee, which said, “I guarantee you’re going to want to call a cop because I will be outside waiting for you after work to discuss this with you without a phone in between us.”
Additionally, according to a witness, in Stewart’s final call, he told a county employee to, “put a cop on the phone or I’m going to come down and start shooting.”
The witness testified that later in the call, Stewart told her multiple times that he was going to come and shoot her.
The employees notified security officers in the building, who took the information from the caller I.D. and were able to identify the call coming from Stewart’s address in Atlanta.
A Montmorency County deputy then made contact with Stewart within an hour.
“I want to thank the jurors for their time and consideration with the case,” said Telgenhof. “I also want to thank the brave women who faced the person who had terrorized them and told the jury about this harrowing experience and what they were put through. One person said she didn’t know if she was going to make it home that night. No person should ever be made to feel that way for just doing their job.”
Telgenhof continued, “The women promptly got information to law enforcement, they made written statements immediately while the facts were fresh in their mind and police quickly identified the person and made contact to determine whether he was on his way to Charlevoix. Everyone involved in the case did a tremendous job to avoid a greater tragedy, especially our courthouse security officers, Jim Spires and Pete Shrift.”
Stewart is set to be sentenced at a later date by Judge Thomas G. Power.
According to Telgenhof, the crime of making a terroristic threat carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. However, Stewart has been convicted of six prior felonies and will be sentenced as a habitual offender with a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Additionally, Telgenhof notes that the malicious use of electronic communication device conviction carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
Stewart has been in jail since he was arrested in June. His bond is set at $200,000.
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