(WTNH) — A Cromwell man is facing charges after he allegedly threatened court staff at a Middletown court via Facebook in January.
In January, the Judicial District of Middletown says they contacted the Connecticut State Police and requested an investigation into communications that the court received by court staff that they say they felt were threatening in nature.
On Wednesday, January 25, Chief Clerk Jonathan Field of the Judicial District of Middletown says he received a phone call from a concerned citizen regarding Facebook posts that they had seen and found to cause concern for both Field, others at the court and members of Cromwell Police Department.
Related Content: Connecticut man faces sentencing for threatening judge
Field says the concerned citizen identified the posts from the Facebook profile of 52-year-old Edward Taupier of Cromwell. According to the police, Field had the citizen send him the posts and when he read them, he, too, found them very disturbing. Police say Field felt as though the posts were a threat to his own safety and possibly to others at the Middlesex Judicial District Court.
According to the police report, Taupier allegedly made threats against Jewish people, police officers and court employees. The police report also says Taupier allegedly wanted to burn courts and advocated violence against court employees.
The Hartford Courant reported in May of 2015 that Taupier was charged with threatening, disorderly conduct and breach of peace in connection with statements made toward Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Bozzuto in Hartford. The Associated Press reported that Taupier threatened to shoot Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Bozzuto in emails sent to several other people. The Courant said the emails were sent on August 22. The Associated Press reported testimony showed the email included information about Bozzuto’s home, the distance to her master bedroom from a nearby cemetery and ammunition that could be used to shoot her.
Related Content: Man found guilty of threatening judge who oversaw divorce
Back in October of 2015, according to the State of Connecticut Judicial website, Taupier was found guilty by a jury for threatening, two counts of disorderly conduct and breach of peace.
The police report says Judge Elizabeth Bozzuto had a protective order against Taupier after his threats towards her. The report states it was effective January 15 of 2016 and had no expiration date.
Included in the conditions of the protection order are: “do not assault, threaten, abuse, harass, follow, interfere with or stalk the protected person. Stay away from the home of the protected person and wherever the protected person shall reside. Do not contact the protected person in any matter, including by written, electronic or telephone contact and do not contact the protected person’s home, workplace or others with whom the contact would be likely to cause annoyance or alarm to the protected person,” the police report states.
Related Content: Trial of man who police say threatened judge has ended
After a lengthy investigation, officers applied for an arrest warrant for Taupier and it was granted by a New London court.
On Friday morning, members of Connecticut State Police’s Central District Major Crime Squad Detectives arrested Taupier without incident at his home in Cromwell.
Taupier is being held with a bond of $200,000 and will be in court on August 14 to face multiple threatening and inciting injury to person or property charges.
