Who is Arthur Ray Hanson II?
Arthur Ray Hanson II, a 59-year-old man from Alabama, has been charged with federal offenses for making interstate threats to harm Fani Willis, the District Attorney of Fulton County, and Patrick Labat, the Sheriff of Fulton County.
Hailing from Huntsville, Alabama, Hanson is an American individual who was born in 1965. He is known for his unwavering backing of ex-president Donald Trump. As per sources, he left threatening voicemails for both Fulton County’s District Attorney, Fani Willis, and Sheriff, Pat Labat, on August 6, 2023.
What did Arthur Ray Hanson II do?
Hanson issued a threat towards Fulton District Attorney, Fani Willis, due to her plans of pressing charges against Trump for a fourth criminal offense. Additionally, he also threatened Labat for discussing with multiple media sources the possibility of Trump being photographed on August 6, 2023, the purported date of the recorded voicemails.
In an alleged voicemail to Willis, Arthur Ray Hanson II said,
“When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder.”
“what you put out there, [expletive], comes back at you ten times harder, and don’t ever forget it.”
In another voicemail to the Fulton County Sheriff, Pat Labat, Hanson has allegedly said,
“If you think you gonna take a mug shot of my President Donald Trump and it’s gonna be OK, you gonna find out that after you take that mugshot, some bad sh–’s probably gonna happen to you.”
He supposedly warned that Labat would suffer serious harm and advised Willis to be cautious when walking to their car at night.
After eight days, Trump, who had given up in Georgia, and 18 others were formally accused of Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization offenses (RICO). The allegations also stated that Trump and his accomplices were part of a scheme to disrupt the 2020 election.
Despite Hanson’s warning, Labat proceeded to capture a mugshot of Trump, which quickly gained widespread attention.
What happened to Arthur Ray Hanson II?
Arthur Ray Hanson II faced charges of sending threats across state lines to harm Willis and Labat and was formally accused by a federal grand jury in Atlanta. He made his first court appearance in Huntsville on October 25, 2023, and was officially charged in Atlanta on November 13, 2023.
The US Attorney, Ryan K. Buchanan passed an order against Hanson stating,
“Sending interstate threats to physically harm prosecutors and law enforcement officers is a vile act intended to interfere with the administration of justice and intimidate individuals who accept a solemn duty to protect and safeguard the rights of citizens.”
Buchanan continued,
“When someone threatens to harm public servants for doing their jobs to enforce our criminal laws, it potentially weakens the very foundation of our society. Our office will labour tirelessly with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to help ensure that law enforcement officials are free to serve our communities without the threat of physical attack.”
Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta also spoke about the case emphasizing the FBI’s mission to protect the citizens.
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process. The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. We take this responsibility very seriously and seek to punish those who engage in this type of criminal behavior, and to send the message that such conduct will not be tolerated.”
At the time of writing this article, Arthur Ray Hanson II is still facing two charges for transmitting threats across state lines. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently conducting an ongoing investigation into his case.
