DETROIT — A 60-year-old Detroit man will serve 15 months of probation after threatening to kill Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
James Toepler was sentenced Tuesday under a specialized mental health treatment court, the Michigan Attorney General’s office said Wednesday in a release. He also was ordered to have no contact with Whitmer or Benson, and to have no contact with their offices, no malicious contact with 911 emergency response services or Secretary of State branch offices.
Toepler pleaded no contest in September in 36th District Court in Detroit to one count of malicious use of telecommunications services. The threats to kill Whitmer, Benson and others were made June 23, 2021, in a telephone call to the Detroit Police Department’s 911 Call Center.Michigan is in rebuilding mode as coach Juwan Howard recovers from heart surgeryToepler is to report Nov. 1 to the specialized mental health treatment court where appropriate treatment will be determined.
“I appreciate the mental health treatment court’s role in assessing and treating convicted residents who commit crimes from a place of mental unwellness,” Nessel said. “Specialized courts across the state do an excellent job of providing evidence-based intervention strategies and aim to put offenders on a stable footing to find success post-sentencing.