MONTEVIDEO, MINN. Former Watson, Minnesota Mayor Joseph Rongstad has pled guilty to two counts of Threats of Violence for threatening the lives of University of Minnesota students online on January 11th.
Ronstad, 42, has been battling mental illness for several years, which resulted in some run-ins with the law. but earlier this year Judge Jennifer Fischer ruled Rongstad was mentally competent to stand trial. Last week Rongstad’s attorney stated he planned to use a “defense of necessity” at Rongstad’s trial in which Rongstad would testify that the reason he made the threats was to draw attention to what he called was a secret government conspiracy to kill people in the Upper Minnesota River Valley area.
Rongstad pleaded guilty to two of three charges against him with the understanding that he will be given a minimum sentence of 21 months in prison and time in court to explain why he did what he did. Sentencing takes place in August.
In February Judge Fischer said if convicted, she intended to give Rongstad a sentence ha, several area school districts and the U of M went on lockdown after the threats were made.
Rongstad was arrested at his Watson home by a SWAT team several hours after the threats were made.
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