County music fan indicted for threatening George Strait
NASHVILLE (AP) — Walter John Bonin Jr. dreamed of getting country songs he wrote recorded by a superstar like George Strait.
But Bonin, 32, who lives with his parents in St. Martinville, La., strongly denied Thursday that he was the one who sent e-mails to Strait’s manager and fan club president threatening to “go Rambo” if the singer didn’t record one of his tunes.
“Somebody has been getting into my e-mail for the past four or five years. It’s not me because I would never do nothing to jeopardize George Strait,” Bonin told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
He was indicted Wednesday on seven federal charges of extortion and if convicted faces 25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 — an outcome akin to a hard-luck story from Music Row.
“It looks like my entire destiny is down the drain now because of a computer hacker,” Bonin said.
The indictment gives a different account.
According to it, Bonin first corresponded with two of Strait’s representatives in June 1995. The initial e-mails were cordial, if strange, and contained no threats.
That changed in 2003 when e-mails threatened Strait would be assaulted and his Texas home destroyed if the singer didn’t record at least one of Bonin’s songs.
On July 29, 2003, an e-mail to Danny O’Brien, president of the singer’s fan club, attempted to extort money.
“Please have a nice talk to Erv and George telling them again how hard I’ve worked at getting my songs recorded by my idol/friend George Strait,” the e-mail said. “Your wife, Anita knows I deserve my dream and destiny. If it comes down to it and I have no choice but to go Rambo, let me just say that I won’t be the lone gunman.”
The writer also threatened to attack Nashville’s Music Row, where the big record labels have officers, if Strait refused to record Bonin’s songs.
“If George doesn’t record one of my songs this year and when I go Rambo, I’m taking down Dean Dillon too. Picture this, in less than 5 minutes, the entire 18th Avenue South can be wiped off the map.”
Strait has had 38 No. 1 country hits including “All My Ex’s Live In Texas,” and “The Chair,” which was go-written by Dillon. “Erv” appears to refer to Strait’s manager, Irv Woolsey.
Strait also collaborated with Alan Jackson on the duet “Murder On Music Row” — a song that complained that traditional country music was losing out to pop sounds in the industry.
MCA Records in Nashville, where Strait has recorded since 1981, declined to comment on the indictment. A publicist for Strait couldn’t be reached for comment.
The e-mails said the writer was heavily armed and looked forward to a Hollywood-style attack.
“I have a nice M-24 sniper rifle,” the message said. “I can take someone out at over 300 yards. Of course, the movie script will be awesome and we’ll see if it’s based on a true story or what.”
An August 2003 e-mail put a time limit on response to the threats.
“Well, tell George I am waiting on those contracts to come in. After the (Country Music Awards) in November, I will wait no longer and I will be forced to go Rambo on the entire gang,” it said.
Later that month, an e-mail contained threats to travel to Texas and photograph Strait’s house to prepare for a coming attack there.
“That will be George’s fault if he doesn’t record one of mine,” it said. “Remember the dawn of a new day will come. And things will be different.”
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