Man withdraws plea in Lake County courthouse threat case
A California man accused of threatening to "light up" the Gurnee police headquarters and the Lake County courthouse is back in Lake County jail after withdrawing from a plea deal he reached with prosecutors in August, officials said.
Daniel Pederson, 33, of Calabasas, has been recharged with two counts of making a terrorist threat for, authorities allege, phoning the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services inspector general's office in 2014 and saying he intended to "light up" the Gurnee police building on O'Plaine Road and the Lake County courthouse in downtown Waukegan.
Charges of criminal damage to property, electronic and phone harassment, and violating an order of protection - which had been dropped as part of the plea agreement - were also reinstated, prosecutors said.
If found guilty at trial, Pederson could be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison.
The plea withdrawal was approved by Judge Victoria Rossetti on Oct. 6 and Pederson was immediately taken into custody, Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon said.
Under the previous plea agreement approved in August, officials reduced his charges to felony disorderly conduct and sentenced him to 18 months' probation and 180 days in Lake County jail. He was also sentenced to 75 hours of public service and ordered to submit to any mental health and psychiatric screenings as required by probation officers in California.
Defense attorney Keith Grant did not comment on why Pederson withdrew from the plea deal.
Pederson is back in Lake County jail on $2 million bail.