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CT Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threats Against Federal Judge

A Hartford man is facing up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty Friday to making threats against a U.S. bankruptcy court judge in Connecticut, prosecutors said.

The Hartford man's company was involved in a bankruptcy case being heard by the judge.

The Hartford man's company was involved in a bankruptcy case being heard by the judge.

Photo Credit: File

Dusan Mladen, also known as David Mladen, 62, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to one count of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement agent who was investigating the threats made against the unidentified U.S. bankruptcy court judge.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Mladen was a litigant in a proceeding pending before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Connecticut, captioned In re: Eternal Enterprise Inc. 

He formerly owned Eternal Enterprise, Inc., which owns several residential apartment properties in Hartford, and he has continued to be active in the management and decision-making for the company.

On July 5, the judge presiding over the Eternal Enterprise matter discovered in the mailbox of her home an anonymous handwritten note containing the phrases “BACK OFF,” “YOU ARE OVERSTEPPING AUTHORITY” and “JUST WARNING FOR NOW.”

On July 10, in a call to the judge's home phone number, the caller said he had visited the judge’s house last week and “I left a message for you.” 

He said that he wanted her to file an order tomorrow “extending the deadline to September 30,” and “then maybe everything will be OK.” 

Although the caller refused to identify himself, the judge recognized it as Mladen's voice. The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that the cellphone used to make the call was at a location near Mladen’s residence, and that it had been purchased by him under a fictitious name.

On July 11, when deputy U.S. Marshals interviewed Mladen at his residence, he denied having gone to the judge’s house and having called the judge on July 10, and he stated that he did not have the judge’s phone number. Each of these statements was false. 

In a court-authorized search of Mladen’s car, the U.S. Marshals discovered that the judge’s home address was programmed into his GPS unit.

Mladen has been detained since his arrest on July 11.

He will be sentenced Jan. 15.

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