Man convicted for sending threatening emails to city officials
A North Las Vegas man was convicted Tuesday of transmitting threatening communications to two city officials.
Eric Christian was 37 when he was indicted on the two felony counts in July 2009. Defense attorney Jess Marchese said his client has been in custody at mental or criminal facilities since then.
“It’s just a sad situation because he clearly had some mental issues,” the lawyer said Tuesday.
A federal jury deliberated nearly three hours before finding Christian guilty of emailing threatening letters to then-North Las Vegas Police Chief Joe Forti and then-Chief Deputy City Attorney Michael Davidson.
Christian wanted help getting his car out of an impound lot.
In a June 2009 email to Forti, he wrote, “I will have to kill to retrieve my stolen (car) and items if you do not retrieve them.”
He also wrote, “Get my (expletive) car or watch a terrorist car thief DIE!!!”
He sent a threatening email to Davidson three days later.
Both Forti and Davidson testified during the trial, which began Monday in U.S. District Judge James Mahan’s courtroom.
Mahan is scheduled to sentence the defendant, who remains in custody, on April 10.
Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.
