Grayson K. Jackson, 44, of Paris, Arkansas.

A former Antioch man who ran for Illinois governor in 2018 has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to threatening to kill two Lake County judges.

Grayson K. Jackson, also known as Kash Jackson, 44, of Paris, Arkansas, was charged in late 2021 with two counts of threatening a public official and four counts of intimidation.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said Jackson called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on October 7, 2021.

Jackson voiced his displeasure with a ruling in his pending divorce case in Lake County, Berlin said.

During the phone call, Jackson threatened to kill two judges involved in the case, Berlin said.

Jackson was quoted as saying, “That if Judge [redacted] is not arrested, that he is going to make sure he is f****** dead, six feet under, bury him alongside of Judge [redacted].”

The sheriff’s office reviewed the incident with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which drafted a warrant for Jackson.

A judge authorized the warrant and set Jackson’s bond at $500,000.

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The warrant was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database and Jackson was arrested days later by the Logan County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office without incident.

“For our judicial system to operate properly, it is imperative that members of the judiciary or any other officer of the court for that matter, be allowed to perform their duties free from harassment or fear of retribution,” Berlin said.

“This type of behavior must not be allowed to stand and anyone who threatens a public official must be held accountable. Mr. Jackson went much too far expressing his displeasure with the court,” Berlin said.

Jackson entered into a negotiated plea deal Thursday afternoon and pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, in exchange for his other charges being dismissed.

DuPage County Judge Michael Reidy presided over the case and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case to avoid a conflict of interest.

Reidy sentenced Jackson to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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Jackson will receive 479 days of credit for time served and the sentence will be served at 50% in accordance with truth-in-sentencing guidelines.

“Threatening acts of violence against anyone is unacceptable,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.

“We will hold those accountable who threaten or use violence in Lake County. I am proud of my deputies for their thorough investigation into this matter and we extend our gratitude to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office for their hard work in holding the defendant accountable,” Idleburg said.

Robert T. Ritacca, Jackson’s attorney, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the plea deal was accepted by the court after Jackson made “one of the most moving statements in allocation” that he has ever witnessed.

“Grayson for nine years has been in a custody battle where contact with his children was severed, leading him to make choices in October 2021 that today he took responsibility for and acknowledged were wrong,” Ritacca said.

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“Grayson delicately articulated that the severing of contact with his children propounded his action on October 3rd. Today, he took responsibility for those mistakes. Although today is a dark day based on him being sentenced to the Department of Corrections, there is light because his focus can now be on reacquainting himself with his children and soon seeing his immediate family to mourn the loss of his mother, who passed away last month,” Ritacca said.

Jackson lived in Antioch when he ran in the 2018 election for Illinois governor and was nominated as the Libertarian candidate.

He made news headlines during his campaign due to a child custody and support dispute with his ex-wife.

During an August 2018 court hearing, Jackson squared off in a shouting match with Lake County Judge Joseph Salvi, the Daily Herald reported at the time.

Salvi called Jackson the most “self-centered” and “egotistical” person he’s encountered in his courtroom.