'Teddy Bear' faces federal charges

DURHAM (WTVD) -- The FBI filed federal charges this week against a Durham woman for allegedly threatening to kill her probation officer.

In a criminal complaint filed with the United States District Court, federal investigators say Teddy Bear Paradise told witnesses that "they would have to clean up all the blood in the parking lot."

Click here to read the criminal complaint (.pdf)

The complaint also says that Paradise has continued to threaten the woman despite having her parole repeatedly revoked.

Paradise apparently has a history of threatening people. She was convicted in California in 2005 of mailing threatening letters. The parole officer she's now charged with threatening supervised her right after her release.

FBI agent Michael Sutton writes in the affidavit that Paradise repeatedly sent inappropriate letters and voice mails to the officer, and even told her "I could have shot or stabbed you," when she met her in the lobby of the parole office.

Sutton said that the latest incident was on January 5 in a VA hospital emergency room where Paradise began throwing chairs, knocking over trash cans, and again threatened the parole officer.

According to the affidavit, doctors say Paradise has a borderline personality disorder, but does not currently have any active psychiatric illness.

Paradise is being held in the Durham County Jail without bond.

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