MINNEAPOLIS - A Pine County man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to sending threatening letters to the Pine County Courthouse in November.
Johnnie Earl Long, 45, of rural Braham, pleaded guilty to one count of false information and hoaxes during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. No sentencing date was immediately scheduled, according to court records.
The indictment charged him with sending a series of threatening letters to numerous officials at the courthouse. Contained in those letters was a white power that later proved to be harmless.
The letters led to an evacuation of the courthouse and caused a significant delay in the assault trial of a former Duluth police officer that was being held in the building that week.
