Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MANISTIQUE -- The case of the Manistique man charged with making terrorist threats and trying to extort city officials may soon be heading to a higher court.

Monday, testimony was heard at the preliminary hearing for 64 year old Peter Markham.

Markham is charged with seven counts of felony extortion, one felony count of threat of terrorism and two felony counts of using a computer to commit a crime.

Manistique Public Safety and the FBI have been investigating the case over the past year. It all started over disputes with city policies regarding Markham's water bills and property taxes, in which he felt victimized by the city.

And after a few months, officials say the perceived threats began both on his public website and in letters.

Witnesses testified that, in letters to the FBI and the city, and at a city council meeting in October, Markham said he'd consider murder, arson and suicide if the city took away his property.       

In a conversation with the FBI back in December, Markham allegedly named 6 city employees that were on his list. Those threats, had officials worried.

"We put an alarm system in city hall, a monitoring system," explained Mayor, David Peterson.  "I have a burglar alarm in my house now and I carry a weapon."

City officials testified the threats gradually got worse. After additional letters from Markham, officials say they changed their policies in an attempt to settle the problem.

"He gave us a timeline, 15 days and if there wasn't action in 15 days, then, and what I got from that, was that he was going to do something about it," said City Manager, Sheila Aldrich.  "We decided we had to try, had to resolve this."

However, the defense pointed out, the city wouldn't have made the policy changes if they weren't legal. The defense also claimed that Markham never said he would actually commit the crimes, only that he would consider it, and that he didn't directly contact nor threaten anyone.

Markham remains lodged in the Schoolcraft County Jail on a one million dollar bond.