Not guilty plea for Missouri man charged with threatening Westchester schools

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A Missouri man accused of stalking a Yonkers resident in violation of an order of protection and threatening to attack two Westchester schools has been extradited to New York.

Daniel Johnson Jr., 22, of Kansas City, pleaded not guilty Friday, Aug. 8, to an indictment charging him with multiple felony counts of making terroristic threats and first-degree criminal contempt as well as stalking and false-incident reporting misdemeanors.

According to court documents, Johnson was allegedly harassing the Yonkers man and his family and co-workers long distance for several months. On May 10, he allegedly told the man he was going to falsely report him to police.

Daniel Johnson at his arraignment Aug. 8, 2025, in Westchester County Court where he pleaded not guilty to charges including making terroristic threats, criminal contempt and stalking.
Daniel Johnson at his arraignment Aug. 8, 2025, in Westchester County Court where he pleaded not guilty to charges including making terroristic threats, criminal contempt and stalking.

Police obtained an arrest warrant charging Johnson with a pair of misdemeanors, second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree stalking. An order of protection was also issued barring Johnson from contacting the Yonkers man and Kansas City police served Johnson with it at his home in early June.

They were not asked to act on the arrest warrant at that time as Yonkers generally does not seek to execute misdemeanor warrants so far out of state.

On July 10 Johnson allegedly called Yonkers police to report that he was going to burn down a school in White Plains and then called them back to say he was going to "shoot up" that school. He also called a Yonkers school's assistant principal and threatened that school and called the Yonkers police warrant squad to say he was going to kill the Yonkers man.

Later that day he sent an email to the man saying he was looking forward to meeting him and his friends, a violation of the order of protection, police said.

Another arrest warrant was obtained the following day charging Johnson with making terroristic threats and first-degree criminal contempt, both felonies.

The indictment includes eight counts of criminal contempt alleging violations of the order of protection, not just on July 10 but on at least two occasions in June when Johnson allegedly threatened the man with physical harm. Details about what led to three misdemeanor counts of falsely reporting a crime were not immediately available other than the reports were on May 9, June 1 and June 29, according to the indictment.

Johnson was taken into custody by Kansas City police on the New York warrant on July 22 and brought to Westchester last week.

He faces up to seven years in state prison if convicted of the top charge, making terroristic threats, related to his alleged threats of violence against the two schools.

Johnson's lawyer Meghan Stelzer declined to request bail. Westchester Judge Robert Prisco issued an order of protection barring Johnson from any contact with the Yonkers man and sent him to the county jail. Johnson is due back in court on Aug. 28.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Missouri man pleads not guilty in threats to Westchester schools case

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