Man accused of making threats against Perdue, other officials

Angelos Vangelos faces two counts of making bomb threats and 29 counts of threats against an executive officer – all felony charges.

Posted 7:14 p.m. Jun 24, 2009 — Updated 11:01 a.m. Jun 25, 2009

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh man was arrested Wednesday on numerous charges that he threatened Gov. Bev Perdue and other state and local leaders over the past year.

Angelos Vangelos, 46, of 5700-2616 Oak Meadow Lane, was charged with two counts of making bomb threats and 29 counts of threats against an executive officer – all felony charges. He was also charged with one count of communicating threats, a misdemeanor.

Vangelos was held on a $1 million bond. His first court appearance was scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday.

According to arrest warrants, Vangelos made death threats against Perdue nine times and also threatened to blow up her home.

The state Highway Patrol is responsible for Perdue's safety and its spokesman said Wednesday the agency takes every threat against her seriously.

“Quite often the threats are never acted upon but you can't take any chances. You have to make sure you do your job and that's our job to make sure the (first) family is protected and that's what we do,” spokesman Capt. Everett Clendenin said.

Other warrants indicate Vangelos made multiple death threats to former Gov. Mike Easley, former first lady Mary Easley, congressmen David Price, Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller. State Sen. Dan Blue, D-Wake, and Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison were also threatened.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker was also a target, according to warrants. They allege Vangelos threatened the mayor five times in letters and called in to WRAL News a bomb threat against Meeker's home.

Another of the bomb threat charges stems from a call made to El Pueblo, a Hispanic newspaper, in which the caller threatened to blow up the Mexican consulate on Six Forks Road

Several Raleigh City Council members, Wake County commissioners and Raleigh city staff, as well as President Barack Obama prior to the November election, were the targets of other death threats.

A neighbor said Vangelos was somewhat of a mystery.

“I’ve never seen him come in or out. I’ve never heard him,” Robert Murray said. “I thought he was in another building. I didn't know he was right next door.”

According to court records, Raleigh police arrested him in 1999 for communicating threats.

Chrissy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Perdue's office, said in a statement late Wednesday that the governor "thanks the dedicated law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to keep those of us who serve the state – and all North Carolinians – safe from harm."

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