FOND DU LAC – A Fond du Lac man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after prosecutors say he threatened to kill a high-ranking Wisconsin Executive Office official and the official’s family.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says Bradley Hartmann made his initial appearance July 1 after being charged with three counts of terrorist threats and four counts of unlawful use of the telephone. The criminal complaint lists the terrorist threat counts as Class I felonies and the telephone-related counts as Class B misdemeanors.
Prosecutors say the charges stem from alleged threats made June 28 against an official based in Madison. According to the criminal complaint, State Capitol Police were notified after voicemails and calls were allegedly made overnight. The complaint says the messages included threats to kill the official and the official’s family.
The complaint says Fond du Lac Police and State Capitol Police later made contact with Hartmann in Fond du Lac. Investigators say Hartmann told them he did not intend to hurt the official and did not remember making the voicemails, according to the complaint.
Judge Christenson set cash bond at $15,000. Hartmann’s next hearing is scheduled for July 23. The defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
Toney said political violence “will never be tolerated in America,” adding that prosecutors will seek accountability for threats aimed at disrupting or impairing government operations.
The case is being investigated by the Fond du Lac Police Department, with assistance from the Wisconsin State Capitol Police.
