A Carbon County man, who has a history of making death threats against judges and lawyers, who pleaded guilty in at least six criminal cases involving threats and other charges, and who spent considerable time in state and local prisons, is back in the state system again for violating the conditions of his probation.

John Large, 56, appeared before Senior Judge Dudley N. Anderson, of Lycoming County, in Carbon County court on June 18 on a petition filed by the Carbon County Adult Probation office that he violated the terms of his release in a case dating back to 2017.

On Jan. 29, 2019, Anderson placed Large on probation for four years on a charge of terrorism - affect the conduct of a government.

The adult probation office said he violated the terms of his release by “engaging in overt behavior which is deemed as threatening to the safety and well-being of others and the community”; “defendant was noncompliant in treatment at the EAC residential inpatient treatment program”; and “defendant made attempts to contact a victim listed in this case.”

At the revocation hearing, Large did not contest the allegations contained in probation officer Nicole Horn’s petition.

Anderson resentenced Large to serve one to five years in a state correctional institution.

Some of the conditions imposed by Anderson include: defendant shall undergo cognitive testing, trauma-based therapy, and traumatic brain injury treatment at a secure inpatient facility; and defendant shall have no contact with the victims listed in the case.

Long history

Previously, he pleaded guilty in the last of six cases from 2015 and 2016 involving numerous threats to people in Carbon, Northampton and Luzerne counties. He admitted to making death threats and bomb threats by phone, and in two cases threatening his victims by leaving dead animals with threatening notes. His victims included lawyers, a nursing agency, his ex-wife and a Northampton County judge.

Large’s crimes have included calling a Northampton County judge at 1 a.m. in the days before Christmas 2015, and telling him he would ruin the holidays for him like the judge did for him. In October 2015, he left dead animals outside a Lehigh County nursing agency which had once provided care for his daughter. In June 2016, he threatened lawyers in Carbon and Luzerne County and his ex-wife’s family.

Large’s criminal history goes back more than a decade. Carbon County’s three judges have recused themselves from his cases ever since he stalked the now-deceased Judge David Addy in 2007. Senior judges from around the state, including Anderson, have presided over his recent cases in the county.

Large’s crimes include:

• Summer 2007: Large is charged with stalking Addy, after shouting at his home, waiting outside his chambers and sitting in his courtroom while he hears cases.

• August 2008: Large pleads guilty to stalking Addy. After receiving credit for time served, he is paroled and admitted to a facility for brain injuries.

• June 14, 2014: Large slashes tires and punctures radiators on cars belonging to a woman who works at a nursing home where his daughter lives. Left a duct-taped box with the words “tic toc” and threatening notes on the car. Serves 180 days in jail.

• October 2015: Large threatens staff at a Lehigh County nursing agency and left dead rats in traps, a dead fish in a newspaper and threatening notes, as well as calls a nursing home administrator living in Northampton County and threatens to kill her.

• Dec. 21, 2015: Large makes threats during a 1 a.m. phone call to the home of Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano.

• June 12-15, 2016: Large threatens his ex-wife and her parents and leaves a dead snake and crow on her property; calls state police and tells them that he is planning something that would make the Orlando shooting look small. He calls in bomb threat at the home of a Carbon County lawyer who once represented Large’s ex-wife; and threatens to burn down a Luzerne county lawyer’s home and kill him.

• May 2018: Large pleads guilty but mentally ill for placing dead animals outside a Lehigh County nursing agency. He receives 60 months probation.

• Sept. 26, 2018: Large pleads guilty but mentally ill in two cases in Carbon County involving bomb threats, and leaving a dead crow and a dead snake outside his ex-wife’s property.

• February 2019: Senior judge Thomas Gavin sentences Large to seven years probation for phone threats to Judge Emil Giordano and a nursing home administrator. Giordano asks the court to send him to state prison.

• Jan. 29: Anderson sentences Large to 10-20 months in prison for his threats in Carbon County, and gives credit for 560 days in prison.

• March 15: Large receives 24 months probation in Luzerne County Court after pleading guilty but mentally ill to threats against his former attorney.

Editor’s note: Reporter Chris Reber compiled Large’s criminal history and contributed other information for this story.