Felon charged with threatening Hennepin County officials' wives

A convicted sex offender showed up at the homes of Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek and a county attorney last week, threatening the men's wives, according to charges filed in Ramsey County District Court.

Thomas W. Evenstad, 48, was charged Monday with two counts of terroristic threats.

According to the complaint: Evenstad appeared at Stanek's home about 5:20 p.m. on March 14. Stanek was not home.

His wife answered the door and spoke with Evenstad, who told her he wanted to speak with the sheriff about an alleged crime committed against Evenstad's sister.

Evenstad was "oddly dressed," and vacillated between calm and irate, charges said. He said Stanek ruined his life, and initially refused to leave when the sheriff's wife asked him to. He eventually left.

At 5:34 p.m. that same day, Evenstad allegedly appeared at the home of an assistant Hennepin County attorney, who successfully prosecuted Evenstad in 1999 for first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The attorney was not home. His wife answered the door, and their children were home at the time, charges said.

Evenstad told the woman he was wrongfully convicted and was at the home to "let [the prosecutor] make things right." Evenstad was sentenced to about 11 ½ years in prison in that case, and was civilly committed upon his release.

Evenstad left when the woman said she was calling 911. She told authorities that she felt threatened by his presence and behavior. He also went to the governor's residence earlier that afternoon, but left when a state trooper told him via intercom that he would not be admitted through the locked gate.

CHAO XIONG