A Butler man threatened to hire people to “take everyone out” on staff at the district court office in Butler Township, as well as Lewis Stoughton, the magistrate in Chicora, state police said.

Matthew P. Dec, 54, was arrested Tuesday, June 6, in relation to a threatening phone call police said he made that afternoon to Kevin O’Donnell’s district court office in Sunnyview Circle.

During the call, police said Dec made various threats, including one where he called an employee a communist.

Dec was charged with felony aggravated assault, five counts of misdemeanor terroristic threats and four counts each of simple assault, harassment and reckless endangerment.

He was placed in Butler County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said Dec placed a call to the Butler Township district court. Due to past dealings with Dec, staff members placed him on speaker phone.

Police said Dec requested to file a civil suit in the Butler Township district court, but was informed he’d have to file his request through the Chicora district court, presided by Stoughton.

Police said Dec then threatened to hire someone from Pittsburgh to “burn down Judge Stoughton’s place,” and take Stoughton off the bench, saying it several times throughout the call.

Dec also indicated he would bring people from Pittsburgh to “take everyone out” at the Butler Township district court, according to documents.

He also told one employee to “put a gun in her mouth because she is a communist,” the affidavit showed.

According to court records, Dec has a criminal history dating to 1992 in the county, but only one of the cases included a preliminary hearing before Stoughton. In that case, state police charged Dec with driving under the influence and several summary traffic violations following an incident on Sept. 25, 2020, in Center Township. That case remains pending in county Common Pleas Court.

Police said Dec was taken into custody without incident Tuesday.

Eagle staff writer Steve Ferris contributed to this report.