The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

September 8, 2010

Plea deal reached for threatening e-mail

Former deputy accused of making threats in e-mail to fellow officers

By Dan Nienaber Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — A former Blue Earth County deputy, who was scheduled to go to trial next month for a felony charge accusing him of sending an e-mail threat to other deputies, has reached a plea deal.

Richard Glenn Miller, 37, of Mankato is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 11 for a gross misdemeanor charge of harassment. The felony charge of making a terroristic threat was reduced in exchange for Miller’s Aug. 31 plea.

Miller resigned in December. He had been placed on administrative leave Nov. 11, which is the day he sent an e-mail with the subject “Union Contract” to 14 other deputies just before 6 a.m. He was the only deputy on duty at the time, according to the criminal complaint.

After discussing upcoming union negotiations, Miller ended his e-mail with, “We absolutely need to have this added to our contract and if we don’t I’m gonna bring a gun into our office and shoot this place and everyone to hell.” The e-mail ended with “MILLER” in all capital letters.

All of the deputies who received the e-mail were interviewed by a Sgt. Steve Collins of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department.  He was asked to investigate the incident to avoid a conflict of interest. Three of the deputies said they were threatened by the e-mail and several said they were “slightly alarmed,” Collins reported.

Miller said Wednesday that the plea deal will allow him to keep his law enforcement license. He’ll also be able to keep a license he has received to sell bail bond insurance, he said.

“I thought it was better to plead guilty, take my lumps and get everything over with,” Miller said. “What I did was wrong and I take full responsibility. They’re my friends and co-workers. I never wanted to scare anyone.”

When Lt. David Karge and Capt. Rich Murry went to Miller’s house to tell him he was on administrative leave, he told them the comment at the end of the e-mail was intended as a joke. He also said he ends all of his e-mails with a “bit of a sense of humor,” the complaint said.

“The most important part to me, through all this, is keeping my relationship with local law enforcement,” Miller said Wednesday. “There’s no way I’d make my former co-workers come into a court of law and have them testify against another police officer.”

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