Man Found Guilty of Threatening Garcetti

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury found an unemployed handyman guilty Wednesday of threatening Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti and his family.

Roberto Lansing, 56, was convicted of threatening a public official and making terrorist threats. The Hollywood resident, who has been in custody since May, faces up to three years in prison when he is sentenced March 30.

The verdict brought a close to Lansing’s second trial. In September, another jury had deadlocked 11 to 1 in favor of a conviction.

A spokeswoman said Garcetti said he was pleased the case was resolved.

“He appreciates the work of the attorney general’s office and the prosecutor and wants to thank the jurors for their diligence in listening to the evidence,” said Suzanne Childs, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

Lansing was accused of sending Garcetti threatening letters after Lansing’s $10,000 bank account was seized by state tax officials in the wake of a child support dispute between Lansing and his ex-wife.

The handyman was angry about the seizure of his life savings, which happened four months after Lansing and his ex-wife repeatedly notified the district attorney’s child support and collection division that the dispute had been settled, officials said.

In a taped interview with investigators, Lansing said he made about 500 calls to the district attorney’s office in an attempt to keep his assets.

When those attempts failed, authorities said Lansing sent Garcetti two letters threatening the life of the district attorney, his family and his bodyguards.

“This is to inform you that I have decided to take a trip--one way--to the morgue,” a May 3 letter to Garcetti stated. “You, your wife, your daughter . . . will come along.”