A Freeland man was sentenced this week for threatening and harassing a series of people, including News-Times employees after a story about him was published.

During a Nov. 18 hearing in Island County Superior Court, 61-year-old Graham J. Lau pleaded guilty to two counts of felony harassment, four counts of telephone harassment, one count of harassment and one count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.

The guilty pleas were part of a “global resolution” of several cases from this year and late 2024. Under the plea bargain, both the prosecution and defense recommended a sentence of 18 months of electronic home monitoring. Defense attorney Claire Highland explained that Lau suffers from health problems, including severely infected legs, and that the jail doesn’t have the ability to provide the round-the-clock care he requires.

Judge Carolyn Cliff agreed and imposed the sentence.

Reports from many law enforcement officers over the past year indicate Lau’s history of threatening individuals over the telephone. An officer with the Oak Harbor Police Department wrote in his report that Lau left multiple alarming voicemails on the Whidbey News-Times’ business line directed towards Editor Jessie Stensland. The newspaper had just published a story, “Threats to Whidbey Telecom lead to felony charge.”

Lau left a long series of voicemails with bizarre and violent comments and sexist language.

“Chris Cornell and Anthony Bourdain are coming as zombies like to … chainsaw you into pieces and feed you to Dungeness crabs,” one voicemail said in part.

Another voicemail appeared to make references to “Star Trek,” as Lau referred to himself as Captain Kirk, followed by profanity.

An employee at the News-Times office received the voicemails and was alarmed. The office was closed for the day, and she went home using a different route in case she was being followed.

The Oak Harbor police officer contacted Lau, who identified himself as “James his assistant” and said Lau was in Florida because his house had burned down, according to the report. Deputies from the sheriff’s office were able to verify that Lau was at his home in Freeland watching the first “Aliens” movie.

The officer told Lau that his messages to the newspaper office had caused so much fear and alarm, by threatening to shoot up the place and to chop them up with a chainsaw and feed them to the crabs, that all of the staff were sent home early.

In another incident, a deputy with the sheriff’s office noted that a Langley man had a voicemail that appeared to be from Lau, threatening his life. The individual had given his phone number to Lau in case he needed a ride somewhere. Lau sent him a text saying he was hit by a car and needed a ride home from the hospital, according to the report. When the man didn’t answer, he received two voicemails, the second of which threatened to cut his head off with a machete.

In a report by another deputy with the sheriff’s office, while on a visit to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, Lau made threats of shooting Deputy Nicholas Hathaway. Lau also mentioned going to Hathway’s home and shoving his pills down his throat.

The deputy attempted to arrest Lau outside of the hospital and found drug paraphernalia on him. Lau got upset and resisted getting in the patrol car, saying his feet did not work. While talking to the deputy, Lau told her he wouldn’t mind seeing her “out of court, like in a back alley in Oak Harbor.” Lau also told a correctional deputy he would kill him.

In the latest incident, a deputy with the sheriff’s office details a confrontation between Lau, a neighbor and a taxi driver. The neighbor, seeing him come home with groceries, yelled at Lau that he wasn’t supposed to have beer. Shortly after, Lau called 911 and told the dispatcher that his neighbor was trying to kill the taxi driver. He called again to say that his neighbor had run over his leg with his car and he would never walk again; he later described having a compound fracture to the deputy, but when asked to define that term, he said, “It means that I don’t want to talk anymore.”

The deputy observed no visible signs of harm to Lau and concluded that he had been lying about being injured by his neighbor. He refused aid by the medic on scene, and no blood was found anywhere, according to the report. The taxi driver also confirmed that the neighbor did not threaten her life.

When handed his citation, Lau said, “Sorry about that.”

Lau initially faced a standard sentencing range of four to 12 months in jail. Under the plea bargain, both the defense and prosecution recommended a sentence of nine months in jail, which was converted to 18 months of electronic home monitoring.

After he serves his sentence, Lau must receive a mental health evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment.

He was ordered not to have contact with any victims, including Stensland and any employees of the Whidbey News-Times.

Lau’s attorney, Highland, said he has difficulty managing his emotions when he is angry and frustrated. She said he told her that he never intended to carry out any threats.

His criminal history includes two prior felony convictions.

In court, Lau said, “I’m sorry for wasting everyone’s time.” The judge asked him if he wanted to say he was sorry to his victims. He said he was going to write letters of apology, but the judge told him he’s not allowed to contact the victims.

“OK, I’m sorry,” he said.

The judge said his threats “make a real impact on people.” She said the victims had no way of knowing that he wasn’t going to make good on his threats “so they just hear the very scary comments.”

At the end of the trial, Lau asked if he could sue Stensland for “defamation of character” even though he pleaded guilty to the charges against him.