Authorities: Sterling Heights Man Threatened To Decapitate 2 Macomb County Judges
MT. CLEMENS (WWJ) - A Sterling Heights man is behind bars, accused of making chilling threats against two Macomb County Circuit Court Judges.
Mohammad Subhi Alsheleh, 30, is charged with making a false report of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime — both 20-year felonies.
"The person that was making the threats threatened to severe the heads of two of the Circuit Court judges," Macomb County Sheriff's Lt. John Michalke told reporters Monday.
Michalke says the threats were sent from a mobile device via a phony email address to a Royal Oak attorney who forwarded the message to the judges and authorities.
"It appears so he created an email account specifically to send this message," Michalke said. "And then the message was to be conveyed to the Circuit Court Judges. It was a threat that he would sever their heads."
Deputies and detectives were later able to develop a suspect "based on prior occurrences" and the fact that the suspect had child-custody proceedings in the 16th Circuit Court of Macomb in front of both of the judges — identified as Judge James Biernat Sr. and Judge Kathryn George.
No one was injured.
Alsheleh was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Chesterfield Township on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and arraigned in 41A District Court Monday. Bond was set at $50,000, no 10 percent.
Alsheleh remains lodged in the Macomb County Jail.