[ad_1]
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — A 36-year-old man who threatened to slit a Washtenaw County judge’s throat has been sentenced to probation and less than a month in jail.
Zachary Michael Degeorge was sentenced to two years of probation and 180 days in jail, with credit for time already served, during a hearing before 15th District Court Judge Karen Valvo on Sept. 9.
Degeorge pleaded guilty in August to one count of malicious use of a telecommunication device and was released to a group home in Stanton. His jail sentence, which totals 23 days, will be suspended, according to court documents. A review is scheduled for August 2026.
Degeorge was originally charged with making a false report or threat of terrorism and malicious use of a telecommunications service after making posts on both Twitter and LinkedIn threatening to “slit the throat” of the U.S. president on live television, said Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Det. Brian Yeager during a swear-to hearing. He also threatened to slit Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Julia Owdziej’s neck.
His probation terms prohibit him from using any social media, according to court documents.
Degeorge told police he did not intend to kill anyone, but liked using “psychological tricks to get people on edge,” Yeager said.
Read more: Man accused of threatening to slit Washtenaw County judge’s throat
Degeorge also made posts threatening to release proprietary code owned by Bosch, an engineering company. Degeorge had previously worked for, Yeager said.
He later released the code, an act that heightened Yeager’s concern, he said. Degeorge’s guardian also was worried, saying he has means to carry out his threats.
“I think he’s a big concern not only for his own safety, but the safety of the people in the county and the people who are around him and the people in this country, at this point,” Yeager said.
Degeorge’s Twitter account is publicly available, but it appears his LinkedIn account has been deleted.
When police contacted him and asked him about the posts, he denied meaning a specific judge but later referenced an ongoing guardianship case in Washtenaw County Trial Court, Yeager said.
DeGeorge has been before Owdziej in several cases dating back to 2011, including a 2017 case that included a petition by a parent saying he was a safety threat. His guardianship case, in which the court will decide whether he will be assigned a caretaker, was originally before Owdziej.
The case was transferred to Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Arianne Slay in May. Degeorge allegedly made the social media posts in mid-April.
That case was postponed and a new date has not yet been set.
Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Ann Arbor” daily newsletter.
[ad_2]
Source link
