Akron man indicted on charges of making threats and witness tampering

A federal grand jury returned a two count indictment charging Raynard Clayton, 34, of Akron, with interstate communications of threats and witness tampering, said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.

Clayton was arrested on a criminal complaint last month. On Feb. 5, he sent a Facebook live post threatening to injure and kill someone identified in charging documents as B.T., with the intent to prevent communication to a law enforcement officer information about commission of a federal offense, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Riley following an investigation by the FBI.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.