Blaine man faces additional charges over e-mail threats
A Blaine man accused of using a neighbor's e-mail address to send threats and other inappropriate material now faces more serious charges.
Federal prosecutors had charged Barry Ardolf, 45, with identity theft and making threats. Ardolf has now been indicted by a federal grand jury with unauthorized access to a protected computer, and possession and distribution of child pornography.
The indictment also includes charges of identity theft and making threats to Vice President Joe Biden.
Ardolf's attorney did not immediately return a message left seeking comment on the new charges.
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The indictment comes a little over a week after Ardolf refused to accept a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for two years. At the time, his attorney said Ardolf didn't want to plead guilty to something he didn't do.
The child pornography distribution charge alone carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Ardolf used neighbors' e-mail addresses to threaten Vice President Joe Biden and other elected officials. He's also accused of posting inappropriate information, including child pornography, on someone else's MySpace page.
The indictment also alleges that Ardolf created fake e-mail accounts in someone else's name and used those accounts to e-mail child pornography and bizarre messages to that person's co-workers. The e-mails included sexual advances to one of the victim's female coworkers.
Ardolf also allegedly created a fake e-mail account for a Wayzata resident, and used it to send a message to the first victim's supervisor. That e-mail alleges that the first victim sexually harassed the Wayzata resident in the parking lot of the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul.
"If I see him here again I will call the police and I will press charges," the e-mail said.
Ardolf is free on bail until his trial. But a judge ordered that all computers and wireless devices be removed from his home, and that Ardolf not use the Internet except for work purposes while he's at his job.