Kurt William Havelock was convicted in an Arizona federal court of violating 18 U.S.C. § 876 (a). This section prohibits the mailing of communications, “addressed to any other person and containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of anther.”

The facts leading up Havelock’s conviction began five days before Super Bowl XLII, which took place on February 3, 2008. Havelock went to a gun store and bought an AR-15 assault rifle, five extra magazines and a massive amount of ammunition. Five days later and about a half hour before kickoff, he loaded the AR-15 and several clips of ammunition into his car.

He then drove to a local post office, where he deposited six Priority Mail envelopes to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Phoenix New Times, the Associated Press and two websites, theshizz.org and azpunk.com. Each packet contained a “media packet” not addressed to anyone. The media packet included a six page, rambling “econo-political” manifesto entitled “Karma Leveller: Bad Thoughts on a Beautiful Day,” an apology letter addressed to the police, directing them to his car near the Super Bowl stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and a second letter to the two music websites, describing Havelock’s business troubles.