Phoenix man charged in connection with email threat against Maricopa County Supervisor

A Phoenix man who prosecutors say sent a threatening email to Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates has been charged with a misdemeanor and could face jail time if found guilty, according to a Tuesday statement from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Ryan Stuart Hadland, 44, has been charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor in connection with threatening to physically harm Gates on Nov. 12, 2022 — four days after the midterm election, according to the charging document, which was filed June 1.

The crime is punishable by up to six months of jail time and a $2,500 fine, according to the Attorney General's Office statement.

Gates, a Republican who represents a politically purple area spanning from north-central Phoenix to Anthem and New River, announced earlier this month that he will not seek reelection in 2024.

Gates and other members of the Board of Supervisors faced false allegations of election fraud following the 2020 and 2022 elections. Gates has stated publicly that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of election-related harassment.

Earlier this month, a former teacher from Tucson was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for making a death threat toward Arizona Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff. Donald Glenn Brown pleaded guilty in April to a Class 4 felony.

Reporter Sasha Hupka contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man charged in connection with email threat toward Bill Gates