FILE – Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two as she departs Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, Mass., July 27, 2024 (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Pool, File).
A 38-year-old Pennsylvania man will avoid prison after he admitted to making repeated threats against the life of former Vice President Kamala Harris, saying he planned to "assassinate her."
U.S. District Judge Julia K. Munley has ordered Steven Alexander Hartford to serve two years of probation after he pleaded guilty to one count of threats against the vice president, court records show.
The sentence marked a significant departure from what federal prosecutors sought. In a sentencing memorandum filed ahead of the July 10 hearing, the government asked the court to impose a prison sentence within the advisory federal sentencing guidelines range of 10 to 16 months, followed by a term of supervised release. Prosecutors argued that Hartford's conduct warranted incarceration because his online threats contributed to an increase in political violence and required federal authorities to divert investigative resources.
According to prosecutors, Hartford controlled the TikTok account "thealex13one13," which he used to post multiple threats targeting Harris in July 2024, shortly after then-President Joe Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign and Harris emerged as the likely Democratic nominee.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the first threat came on July 21, 2024, in response to a 17-second Daily Mail TikTok video captioned, "Will Kamala Harris be the next Democratic nominee?" Authorities said Hartford commented, "I will assassinate her if she runs for pres."
Less than 30 minutes later, after another Daily Mail TikTok video asked whether Harris could replace Biden, Hartford posted another comment stating, "I will assassinate her."
Investigators said Hartford continued posting threats the following day, including comments that appeared to reference rifle ammunition: "22 250 coming her way," "5.56 for her," and "5.56 waiting for her." Authorities said "22 250" appeared to reference a .22-250 rifle cartridge while "5.56" referred to the caliber commonly used in AR-15-style rifles.
Hartford was initially indicted on two counts of threatening a major party candidate for president. He later reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, waiving indictment on a superseding information charging him with one count of making threats against the vice president. In exchange, both sides agreed to certain Sentencing Guidelines calculations, including a total offense level that resulted in an advisory range of 10 to 16 months in prison.
In urging Munley to impose a prison sentence, prosecutors acknowledged there was no evidence Hartford physically acted on or planned to carry out the threats. Nevertheless, they argued the statements were "unquestionably serious," noting they forced federal law enforcement to investigate the case while potentially diverting resources from more imminent threats. They also contended that online threats against elected officials have become increasingly common and that imprisoning Hartford would send a message to other "keyboard warriors" that threatening public officials carries real consequences.
Prosecutors further argued Hartford's personal history — including his reports of an abusive childhood — did not justify a sentence below the guidelines because he had maintained employment, reported no history of mental illness or alcohol abuse, and voluntarily stopped using marijuana while on pretrial supervision. They also cited federal sentencing data showing most similarly situated defendants receive prison terms, arguing a guidelines sentence would avoid unwarranted disparities.
Munley ultimately rejected the government's request for incarceration, instead sentencing Hartford to two years of probation.
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