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Milwaukee man charged with sending threatening letter to Lake County officials

A Milwaukee man was charged with threatening a public official after he sent a letter to several Lake County government offices and departments referencing the Parkland, Florida, school shooting and the murder of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer, the Lake County sheriff's office said Thursday.

Timothy Hoeller, 57, wrote that he was displeased with a recent electronic filing he made at the Lake County circuit court clerk's office. In the letter, he stated his intention was to "scare" the recipients, authorities said.

The letter was received Monday, and two days later, Lake County sheriff's detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Hoeller. The bond on the arrest warrant was set at $750,000.

Lake County detectives later learned that Hoeller was being held in Waukesha County Jail in Wisconsin for a separate crime. Hoeller was before a Waukesha County judge Monday on misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges after he threatened officials at Carroll University, his former place of employment, authorities said.

The The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Hoeller was alleged to have faxed a letter to Carroll University in which he called the Parkland shooter "his hero."

According to Wisconsin court records, Hoeller was ordered to stay away from the school and have no contact with its employees. He has asked to be able to defend himself in that case.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Commissioner Laura Lau ordered Hoeller be given a competency examination.

Hoeller is being held in Waukesha County on $1,000 bond but he will remain in custody even if he pays that amount, Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Covelli said. Hoeller will be held until the Wisconsin criminal case concludes, at which point there will likely be an extradition hearing, Covelli said.

Covelli said he didn't know why Hoeller had made an electronic filing with the Lake County circuit clerk's office.

Hoeller is scheduled to return to Waukesha County court March 19.

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