Jury Convicts Man Who Threatened Former North Las Vegas Police Chief and Assistant City Attorney

LAS VEGAS—Following a one-day trial, Eric Leon Christian, 39, of Las Vegas, was convicted by a federal jury today of two counts of interstate communication for sending threatening e-mails to the former chief of police and chief deputy city attorney for the City of North Las Vegas, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

On May 31, 2009, Christian sent an e-mail to then-City of North Las Vegas Police Chief Joe Forti requesting that Forti help him retrieve his vehicle from an impound lot. The next day, Christian sent another e-mail to Chief Forti threatening to injure him if Chief Forti did not help him retrieve his vehicle. Part of the e-mail stated, “I will have to kill to retrieve my stolen and items if you do not retrieve them,” and “Get my (expletive) car or watch a terrorist car thief DIE!!!” Several days later, on June 4, 2009, Christian sent an e-mail to then-City of North Las Vegas Chief Deputy City Attorney Michael Davidson. After requesting information regarding two court cases, Christian wrote, “Do not ignore me, because I just get more persistent and pissed the (expletive) off. It would be best to get the Writ of Habeas Corpus out of the way that way I don’t need to get a mob together and start a civil war to kill Judge Van Landeschoot or YOU for terrorizing and violating the rights of American citizens!”

Christian is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on April 10, 2012. Christian faces up to 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.

The case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger Yang and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Jaroch.