Calhoun man’s attempt to get his wife arrested backfires, SC officials say

A Calhoun man was found guilty of “stalking, mailing threatening communications and perpetuating letter hoaxes,” after he attempted to have his wife arrested on false pretenses, according to a press release by the United States Attorney District of South Carolina.

A jury found Johnathan C. McCaslan, a 51-year-old Calhoun Falls man, guilty for sending threatening letters with “white powdery substance” to the Calhoun Falls Police Department written to appear as if his wife wrote them while they were going through a divorce, the press release stated.

An South Carolina Law Enforcement Department and US Postal Inspection Service investigation, which deployed the bomb squad to examine the white substance for fear it was fentanyl, anthrax or another deadly substance, found it harmless.

“The letter hoaxes in this case had the potential to have an innocent woman arrested for a crime she did not commit,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for South Carolina. “McCaslan’s criminal actions were a terrible abuse law enforcement resources, and we are committed to prosecuting such abuse.”

Investigators realized some of the information from the letters was only known by McCaslan and not his wife, the release said. They also found his DNA on the stamps of the letters, it also said.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and targeting law enforcement to frame someone for a crime is appalling,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “The hard-working professionals at SLED are subject-matter experts committed to conducting thorough investigations. I’m grateful that no one was hurt, and that SLED could help find the facts that led to justice.”

McCaslan faces a maximum of five years on each of the four counts of the indictment.