Jonathan Paul Stewart, 33, Atlanta, was bound over to stand trial in the 33^rd Circuit Court on charges of making terroristic threats and malicious use of a telecommunications service.

Yesterday, 90^th District Court Judge Angela Lasher heard preliminary examination testimony from three Charlevoix County employees who testified that on June 10 they received threatening phone calls from a male caller.

One witness said that the caller had left her a voicemail saying that she would want to call the police because he would be waiting outside for her after work. A second witness testified that the caller had told her that he was a paranoid schizophrenic who didn’t care what happened to him,  that “someone needs to teach those young (expletives) how to do their jobs,” and that if he wasn’t put through to who he wanted, he would drive the two hours to the courthouse and no one would want to know what would happen if he did that.

Another witness testified that the caller told her to get a cop on the phone because he was going to come down and start shooting. He told her that he would shoot her if she did not get a cop on the phone. When she tried to reason with him, the caller said, “Why are you being so (expletive) stupid? You’re being threatened, get a cop on the phone or I’m going to come down and show you what somebody can do that is pissed off.”

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the matter, police used the information from the county caller ID to determine that Stewart made the calls. He was questioned by a deputy from Montmorency County who also testified at the examination.

An act of terrorism is defined as a felony, dangerous to human life, that is threatened in order to intimidate, frighten or coerce a civilian population or influence or affect the conduct of government or a unit of government through intimidation or coercion.

Making a threat of terrorism is a felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Malicious use of a telecommunications device is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months in jail.

The defendant is presumed guilty and is entitled to that presumption of innocence unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Stewart is being held on $200,000 bond. A scheduling conference is set in the 33^rd Circuit Court for August 6, 2021.