A Pittsfield man allegedly threatened to kill a Florida family in messages sent over the Xbox network.
James Maynard, 32, is being held at the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta on a fugitive from justice warrant for written or electronic threats to kill, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Maynard allegedly began harassing the victim in July 2022 when they were a child. The victim tried to block Maynard but he found ways to continue the harassment, the sheriff’s office said Tuesday.
That harassment came to the attention of police in November 2022 when Maynard used an anonymous gamertag to send threats to the victim, including to kill them, burn down their home and disappear their parents, according to the sheriff’s office.
The victim never met Maynard, but they had interacted over the Xbox network and Snapchat.
He was identified as a suspect in January, and on Friday, police obtained a warrant and arrested Maynard.
“I commend our Major Case Unit for their hard work and dedication during this extensive over two-year investigation,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “Let this case be a warning that Flagler County Sheriff’s Office does not tolerate any threat to kill, and we will work with our law enforcement partners across the country to find you and hold you accountable if you threaten our residents. I also want to thank the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and Waterville Police Department for their assistance in this case.”
