Indiana man charged with threatening Rochester Hills clerk after 2020 election
An Indiana man was arraigned Friday on charges that he threatened to kill former Rochester Hills Clerk Tina Barton in the days after the 2020 presidential election.
Andrew Nickels, 37, of Carmel, Indiana, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 26, court records show. But the indictment was kept under seal until Friday when the U.S. Department of Justice issued a news release.
Nickels is charged with making an interstate threat and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
It's the latest in a series of election-related threats against clerks and other public officials that have resulted in criminal charges in Michigan and elsewhere.
According to the indictment, Nickels called Barton on Nov. 10, 2020, and said, in part: "We're watching your ... mouth talk about how you think there's no irregularities ... [Y]ou frauded out America of a real election ... Guess what, you're gonna pay for it ....
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"[T]en million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it, and ... we'll f---ing kill you ..."
The message quoted in the indictment is loaded with profanities.
The indictment only refers to the Michigan clerk by her initials, T.B., but Barton has previously talked about receiving a death threat at that time.
Barton could not be reached for comment, but she issued a statement on the social media site LinkedIn, in which she thanked law enforcement for investigating the threat.
"Today I'm relieved to know that the man who officials believe is responsible for making explicit and terrifying death threats against me and my family has been identified," Barton wrote. "This has not been an easy thing for me and my family to go through for the last 2.5+ years."
Barton said she hopes the "arraignment sends a strong message that threatening election officials is unacceptable and illegal," and "tireless law enforcement officials will work to hold bad actors accountable under the rule of law."
Steve Scharg, the Detroit attorney representing Nickels, said he is still waiting to review evidence in the case. But from talking with his client, "there's no way he intended to hurt anybody," Scharg said.
Nickels pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond, court records show.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Indiana man charged with threatening Rochester Hills clerk
