Overview

• James Toepler, a 60-year-old Detroit man, is sentenced to 15 months of probation for threatening to kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
• The threats were made on June 23, 2021, through a telephone call to the Detroit Police Department's 911 Call Center.
• Toepler is ordered to have absolutely no contact with either Whitmer or Benson, their offices, 911 emergency response services or Secretary of State branch offices.
• He pleaded no contest to one count of malicious use of telecommunications services in Detroit's 36th District Court in September.
• Toepler will report to a specialized mental health treatment court on November 1, where his treatment will be determined. The court will oversee the completion of his treatment and supervise his probation.