Local

Man admits to school threats

ATLANTA,None — An Illinois man has pleaded guilty to mailing threats to metro Atlanta schools.

Valtrez Stewart, 29, pleaded guilty in a federal district court on Friday.

"School should be a place where students are safe. All threats to harm schools, students, teachers and school personnel will be taken seriously by law enforcement, regardless of whether the threat later is revealed to be a hoax," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said. 

Stewart sent threats to at least four different schools last year. The threats contained collages of newspaper and magazine clippings of words and numbers. The letters demanded money by specified deadlines or else a bomb would be detonated at the schools.

The schools involved include Northview, Marietta and Meadowcreek high schools, along with Stephenson Middle Schools. Investigators said Stewart wanted people whom he disliked to be targeted for the threats.

Stewart pleaded guilty to four counts of mailing threatening communications. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.