Texas man charged with election threats to Georgia officials

The U.S. Justice Department said Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, that a Texas man has been arrested on charges of posting threatening messages on Craigslist about killing government officials in Georgia following the 2020 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The U.S. Justice Department said Friday that a Texas man has been arrested on charges of posting threatening messages on Craigslist about killing government officials in Georgia following the 2020 election.

It was announced as the first arrest by the Justice Department’s new Election Threats Task Force that was created last summer.

Chad Stark, 54, is charged with one count of communicating interstate threats, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Federal prosecutors accuse Stark of posting a message on Jan. 5, 2021, titled, “Georgia Patriots it’s time to kill (redacted) the Chinese agent – $10,000.”