Ohio man accused of threatening NC senator claims Facebook was hacked

Nicolas Daniels, 38, of West Portsmouth, Ohio, faces multiple counts of communicating threats and threatening to kill a legal court officer. The threatening messages were sent via Facebook.

In a first court appearance on Wednesday, Daniels claimed he did not send the threats and his Facebook was hacked, saying, "It was not me ... I am paying for someone else's mistake."

According to arrest warrants, Daniels in October and November threatened to kill Sen. Todd Johnson, a Republican representing Cabarrus and Union counties, by sending him a Facebook message with the words "I'll kill you [expletive].”

Daniels' is also accused of threatening Johnson's children in another Facebook message, according to the warrants.

In court on Wednesday a judge lowered Daniels' bond from $250,000 to $100,000. If Daniels is released from jail on bond, he will be required to wear ankle monitoring and ordered to have no contact with his victims.

Daniels was arrested by the North Carolina General Assembly Police, who contacted the Scioto County Sheriff's Office in Ohio. Daniels was taken into custody at a traffic stop and transported to North Carolina, where he was formally charged.

In North Carolina, a new law makes threatening a law maker or other elected official a felony that carries potential jail time of two years per charge.

Daniels was previously convicted on drug and firearm charges in Ohio.