(The Center Square) – Ten years in prison is the maximum punishment that can be imposed for an American living in Thailand following his guilty plea on a charge of threatening to kill North Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.
Prosecutors say Eric Charles Welton, 53, in September 2021 called Tillis’ office in Raleigh and said he would “put a bullet through each of (their) heads.” And, he said he would come to the state and “mow … down” the “whole (expletive) state,” a release says.
In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Chief Justice Richard Myers accepted the plea in a case prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick and investigated by the FBI.
“When threats are directed at elected officials, it can impact their ability to effectively serve their constituents and their country,” said Robert DeWitt, the special agent in charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
Daniel Bubar, an interim U.S. attorney, said his office would work with lawmen to investigate and prosecute threats or intimidation against public officials.
Threats were part of issues involving FEMA and recovery from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and Florida last fall.
In another high-profile national incident involving the Tarheel State, the Greensboro home of former U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was the site of protests and threats in summer of 2020.
Threats against public officials snagged the spotlight over the weekend when the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was set afire. No one was injured and a man was taken into custody.
Nationally, the private business interests of a member of the Trump administration – Elon Musk – has been targeted this year. Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency for President Donald Trump, and the largest shareholder of Tesla is Musk.
