Press Release
Braham Man Charged With Mailing Threatening Communications
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS— A 45-year old Braham man was indicted yesterday for mailing threatening letters. Johnnie Earl Long was charged with one count of False Information and Hoaxes and six counts of Mailing Threatening Communications.
According to the indictment, in November 2013, Long allegedly mailed a series of threatening letters to numerous officials at the Pine County Courthouse. Although these letters contained a white powder that ultimately proved harmless, the letters suggested the powder contained a lethal pathogen.
If convicted, Long faces a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false information count and five years on each threat count. Any sentence that may be imposed in this case would be determined by a federal district court judge.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Pine County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Charles J. Kovats, Jr.
An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.
Updated April 30, 2015
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