Man admits to harrassing Travelers Insurance [Connecticut Post, Bridgeport]

Aug. 31--BRIDGEPORT -- A Canadian national admitted to a federal judge Friday that he made more than 270 harassing and threatening phone calls to the Travelers Insurance Co. in Hartford over 14 months.

Brent Q. Hanson, 49, formerly of Florida and Edmonton, Canada, admitted to U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall that his actions "can be determined as harassment." The charge of making harassing telephone calls carries a maximum two year prison term.

However, the terms of a plea bargain agreement worked out between Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj Patel and Assistant U.S. Public Defender Kelly Barrett recommend that Hanson be incarcerated for more than six months and fined $5,000 when he is sentenced Oct. 18.

Hanson, who is a registered alien, has hired an immigration lawyer in an attempt to stay in the U.S. after he completes his sentence.

The calls occurred between March, 2011 and June 12, 2012 and were made at various times during the day, including last Christmas Day when he left a voice mail message.

Patel said his evidence includes voice mails, recorded calls and e-mails.

Court documents claim Hanson blames Travelers Insurance for problems he is facing in his life. However, there is no indication that he has any ties to the insurer.

Following his July 5, 2012 arrest in Florida, Hanson appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo in Tampa.

Weeks before he was arrested FBI agents met with Hanson and he agreed to stop making the phone calls. However, the calls resumed not long after that.

He is in custody at the Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island.

[email protected]; 203-330-6286; http://twitter.com/mmayko2011

___

(c)2012 the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.)

Visit the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.) at www.ctpost.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services