WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ga. () – A Washington County man who was found guilty in March 2025 of making threats, using racial slurs and hitting a letter carrier’s vehicle was sentenced to 66 months in prison on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

William Charles Franklin, 37, of Tennille, Georgia, was sentenced to serve over five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and pay $5,101.74 in restitution.

Court documents and trial evidence reported that the United States Postal Inspection Service received a complaint and began an investigation on June 11, 2024 into threats made to a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. Franklin was observed on camera using racial slurs against the letter carrier.

According to the U.S. DOJ, the letter carrier told investigators that Franklin threatened to punch his face, run him over with Franklin’s tractor and had called someone else to come to the location to bring a rope so that Franklin could “drag” him away. A family member corroborated that Franklin called to request a rope.

Six months later on Dec. 3, 2024, a tractor with a harrow attached and registered to Franklin hit the letter carrier’s vehicle, destroyed a stop sign and fled the scene. Warrants were issued on Dec. 5 for Franklin’s arrest and the seizure of his and his wife’s cell phones. Agents found where Franklin had saved the letter carrier’s picture following the incident on June 11, 2024 after reviewing his phone. Additional evidence found led investigators to believe that “Franklin’s crimes were motivated, at least in part, by the race and color of the letter carrier.”

When Franklin was arrested and taken into custody on Dec. 6, 2024, agents reportedly found two AR-15 styled rifles inside his truck and he was carrying a loaded pistol.

According to the United States Department of Justice, Franklin was found guilty on one count of obstruction of the mails, one count of assault upon a federal officer, one count of aggravated assault upon a federal officer and one count of retaliating against a witness.

“We will seek justice for victims of hate crimes,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Letter carriers, federal employees and all citizens have the right to live and work in peace and safety. I commend the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service for helping us hold the defendant accountable for assaulting a postal employee.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service.