A Washington County woman now faces felony charges for allegedly making unlawful and intentional threats towards a victim.
On Thursday afternoon, August 31, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Laura Lee Cates, a 47-year-old resident of Sunny Hills.
Cates is employed at the Florida Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Office in Chipley.
As per a press release from the WCSO, reports suggest that an incident occurred on August 30 involving Cates and a victim in a pending felony court case.
According to the victim, Cates threatened to file criminal charges against them if they didn’t accept a plea deal in the case.
It’s worth noting that, to the best of the WCSO’s knowledge, the alleged unrelated incident used as leverage by Cates does not actually exist.
Cates has been charged with intentionally and unlawfully threatening the victim with criminal charges in an attempt to influence their decision in a second-degree felony case, potentially leading to a more favorable plea deal for the defendant.
