Indictment: Georgia man allegedly threatened Kenosha Mayor and others
A Georgia man was charged by a state grand jury for allegedly threatening to kill Kenosha County law enforcement and elected officials during the rioting following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
MILWAUKEE – A man from northern Georgia was charged by a federal grand jury for allegedly threatening to kill law enforcement and elected officials in Kenosha County at the height of the riot following the August 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.
Minjie Cao, from Alpharetta, Georgia, was arrested last week. A federal grand jury in Wisconsin charged Cao with the risk of injury on three interstate communications incidents, including alleged threats against Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, and a third person.
According to the indictment, Cao allegedly sent three emails to “DM”, Beth and Antaramian over a three-day period beginning August 27, 2020 – days after the shooting of Black Blake on August 23 by Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey who is white during a domestic incident.
Blake was paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting sparked days of protests and night-long riots, including the shooting of three people by an Illinois teenager, in which two people died.
According to court records, on August 27, Cao sent an email to “DM” saying, “I’m going to put 7 bullets in your head! This Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Submissions do not say who “DM” is. However, Daniel Miskinis was Kenosha Police Chief at the time and was in the spotlight after the Blake shooting. Miskinis retired in 2021 after nearly 25 years in the department. Messages left with Kenosha Police were not returned.
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Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey, Jacob Blake
Two days later, on August 29th, court documents said that Cao allegedly sent an email to Beth saying, “I will kill your wife first and then kill you in your house tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.” (sic ). The files also do not say who the threat was addressed to, but list the initials of “DB”. Beth declined to comment on the threats when contacted by FOX6 News.
Also on August 29th, Cao allegedly sent a third threat to Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian erroneously urging the mayor to fire the county sheriff, saying, “If you don’t fire David Beth, I’ll put 7 bullets in yours.” Shoot heads in front of your family. Deadline: August 31, 12 p.m. EST. If not, you won’t see any sunlight in September “(sic). Antaramian declined to comment.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian
Messages to lawyers representing Miskinis, Beth and Antaramian in a civil case related to the events in Kenosha were not returned.
In early September 2021, charges were brought and an arrest warrant was issued. However, the case was not unsealed until Thursday, October 7th.
Cao, 26, was arrested and appeared for the first time before a magistrate judge in the northern district of Georgia on October 7th. Judge Catherine Salinas issued a $ 10,000 signature guarantee and ordered Cao to hand in his passport within seven days.
Third night of the riot in Kenosha after the shooting of Jacob Blake
Cao was surprised when a reporter called him on Tuesday, October 12th. No defense attorney listed in the Wisconsin case, according to online court records. An email to a federal defense attorney assigned to the Georgia case was not returned.
Federal attorneys announced last week that Sheskey would not be charged because there was insufficient evidence that he used excessive force or violated Blake’s civil rights. In January, prosecutors also decided not to bring charges against Sheskey after a video showed Blake was armed with a knife.
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The case against Cao is the latest in a series of federal cases involving indictments related to the August 2020 events in Kenosha, including cases of arson and guns.
If convicted, Cao faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to US $ 250,000. He is due to video appear before a federal judge in Milwaukee next week for an indictment and hearing.
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