GOLDEN VALLEY — A Golden Valley man who allegedly used social media to threaten planned protest participants has decided to enter a plea agreement that will send him to the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Richard Bertram on June 13 after he allegedly posted on line threats about shooting demonstrators. “The reporting party advised that the post showed an image of guns and ammunition with threat of shooting attendees of an upcoming planned protest,” said sheriff’s office public information specialist Anita Mortensen.
Bertram is charged with threatening and intimidating. The county attorney’s office contends the offense constitutes a violation of Bertram’s probation for a previous disorderly conduct involving a weapon conviction.
Bertram was informed during a July 24 hearing that an 18.25-year prison term would be his worse case punishment scenario if he is convicted of the new offense and if it was determined he violated probation.
Bertram told Jude Doug Camacho that he instead will accept the state’s plea agreement offer that will result in an 18 month prison sentence. A change of plea hearing was scheduled for August 6.
