Man arrested for threatening Marathon Mayor  

A 63-year-old transient general contractor was arrested Friday afternoon after leaving multiple threatening messages on Marathon John Bartus’ phone.

Michael Brian Falls, of Jacksonville, Florida, was charged with aggravated stalking and threats against a law enforcement officer or elected official.

Falls does not appear to have a permanent address in Monroe County. Deputies have had several run-ins — but no arrests of Falls — recently due to him sleeping in vehicles around Marathon.

“We take these sort of cases very seriously and I want to thank our Middle Keys Deputies and Detectives for making a quick arrest in this matter,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “We will continue to work to protect our elected officials who in turn strive to help us make our communities as safe as they can be.”

The case began when Mayor Bartus reported to the Sheriff’s Office that he received six voicemails on July 10 and July 11 from a man unknown to him identifying himself as Mike Falls. The profanity-laced messages suggested Mayor Bartus was responsible for Fall’s interaction with law enforcement or that that Mayor Bartus controlled law enforcement in some fashion. Falls made troubling statements in the messages, including: “When I’m done, I’m going to show you your grave, Sir.”

The rambling messages also contained odd statements and allegations, such as Falls’ belief that law enforcement officers are out to get him, that law enforcement officers put bees and spiders in his (Fall’s) truck, while demanding that Mayor Bartus provide him with a list of names of the all those people trying to “shut him down.” Falls also states in one voicemail that he has the “highest FBI security clearance.” Falls states in the voicemail that such is his security clearance, that “If you follow me into a room, and I say, ‘shoot,’ they (presumably FBI agents) will shoot you.”

Falls also instructs Mayor Bartus to “Run the Sheriff out of this (expletive) town. Am I making myself clear? It’s called a smart bomb. 6 a.m.”

Detectives Sgt. Trevor Wirth, Mario Benedetti and Amanda Faith Coleman investigated the case.

Detectives soon learned that Falls had left similarly disturbing messages at Marathon City Hall.

Detective Coleman found a 911 call in her research from April of this year in which the caller — the number was later identified as belonging to Falls — tells the 911 0perator to “Get your (racial epithet) off my phone.” The caller called 911 again and spoke to the 911 Operator about entrapment and a Supreme Court case that dealt with police search of cell phones. Deputies responded to where the cell call was made. Witnesses stated a man just left the area, including one witnesses who identified the man on the phone as Falls.

Warrants were issued for Falls’ arrest on July 18 with a bond totaling $100,000.

Detectives provided Patrol Deputies with a list of Marathon construction sites in order to locate Falls. Deputy Ian Douthirt located Falls’ truck at a property on 500 blocks of 29th Street, Oceanside on Friday.

Falls admitted to stating all the aforementioned things on the phone.

Falls was taken into custody without incident.

Falls was taken to jail.

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