Hamden Gamer Charged With Threats Via Xbox

A Hamden man is facing multiple charges after taking to his Xbox LIVE profile to posts threatening messages. The 23 year old man was free on bond at the time the comments were posted and directed at a former friend.

The situation allegedly began last year in New Haven when the duo was pulled over. At that time the suspect was driving and a weapon was found underneath the passenger seat. The passenger told police the weapon was the driver’s and that he had witnessed him stash the gun there.

Following that incident the driver was charged with gun and drug possession while the passenger got off without any charges. Freed on $75,000 bail, the suspect took to the online gaming network to voice his frustrations.

The suspect is alleged to have said things like “Rats die slow” and “I wouldn’t laugh 2 much U a dead man walking” according to the New Haven Register. He turned himself over to police on the new charges just a few days ago.

Now, the young man faces additional charges of tampering with a witness, intimidating a witness, and two counts of second degree harassment. For these charges, his bail is now set at $50,000 and he is due back in court on April 30.

The two harassment charges alone could get him a total of 6 months in jail and $1000 in fines. Add these to the tampering charges and the drug and weapons charges from the earlier date and this gamer is looking at some serious penalties for his reported mistakes.

It’s not unusual for someone to face multiple criminal charges at once. Often, when a criminal offense is believed to have been committed there are several criminal statutes that apply. On one hand, however, the multiple charges make good bargaining tools for attorneys during plea negotiations.

If you are facing criminal charges and overwhelmed at the stakes mounting against you, call me today. An aggressive defense attorney can make a huge difference in court.