Toms River Man Charged With Threats To Kill Judges, Police

TRENTON, NJ — A man who once lived in Toms River and ran for Congress in Oregon while in hiding has been charged with threatening to kill state officials, judges, law enforcement officers and phoning in fake bomb threats, federal officials announced.

Eric G. Hafner, 28, was indicted in federal court in Trenton on 27 counts of making threatening communications, plus six counts of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device, U.S. Attorney Christopher Carpenito said.

Hafner was arrested Sept. 27 in the Northern Mariana Islands, which is a U.S. territory, Carpenito's office said. He had lived in hiding since 2013, he told the Asbury Park Press in a May 2018 interview. That article referred to him as being from Toms River; the U.S. attorney's office referred to him as formerly living in Monmouth County, where he had outstanding arrest warrants in Middletown and Freehold, the Asbury Park Press report said.

"As charged in the indictment, the defendant embarked on a campaign of terror directed at judges, elected officials, and members of law enforcement in Monmouth County and elsewhere," Carpenito said. "He threatened to detonate bombs and kill and otherwise harm his victims, all in an effort to cause psychological harm to and extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. As a result of this federal prosecution, his serious crimes now face serious consequences."

"Hafner’s actions were intended to – and in fact did – create fear to numerous citizens in the Monmouth County community," Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said. "In addition, significant law enforcement resources were wasted in responding to these false bomb threats. Even though these threats were false, the fear and psychological trauma felt by the victims during these incidents were very real."

Hafner was originally charged with transmission of threatening communications in a one-count criminal complaint on Oct. 6, 2016, which remained under seal until his arrest in September, Carpenito's office said.

Authorities allege that between July 2016 and May 2018, while living outside the United States, Hafner made phone calls and sent emails threatening to kill and injure to numerous people in and around Monmouth County and elsewhere. The threats were directed at elected officials, judges, police officers, attorneys, and their families, and Hafner is accused of trying to extort $350,000 from some of his victims.

Hafner also is accused of making false bomb threats to an elected official’s office, a county courthouse, a police department, two law firms, and a commercial establishment, authorities said.

The new indictment on Oct. 31 charged him with nine counts of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to extort; 18 counts of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce, and six counts of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device, Carpenito said.

He faces up to 20 years in prison on each count of making a threat and up to 10 years in prison on each false bomb threat, along with a maximum fine of $250,000, authorities said.

Hafner was arrested Sept. 27 and had an initial appearance before Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona V. Manglona. Hafner had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court upon his arrival in New Jersey on Oct. 23. He was ordered detained without bail.

Carpenito credited the following agencies with the investigation and arrest: FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office; the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; the N.J. State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office; the Bradley Beach Police Department; the Fair Haven Police Department; the Aberdeen Police Department; the Hazlet Police Department; the Shrewsbury Police Department; the Red Bank Police Department; the Freehold Township Police Department; the Middletown Police Department; the Neptune Township Police Department; the Oceanport Police Department; the Deal Police Department; the Manasquan Police Department; the U.S. Park Police; N.J. Transit Police; and West Orange Police Department.

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