DETROIT — A Kalamazoo County woman convicted of stalking Barry County prosecutors last year was sentenced this week to probation, the Michigan Attorney General's Office said.

Rita Williams, 37, of Richland, was sentenced Wednesday through 56B District Court in Hastings to a 24-month term, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.

She said the judge also banned Williams from contacting or attempting to contact Barry County prosecutors. Any violation of her probation terms will result in incarceration, the attorney general said.

Williams pleaded guilty Wednesday to stalking and using a computer to commit a crime, both one-year misdemeanors.

"County prosecutors deserve to perform their job free of harassment and stalking," Nessel said in a statement. "Such behavior not only disrupts the essential work they do upholding justice, but also puts undue strain on those dedicated to serving the public. My office remains committed to prosecuting these illegal actions to ensure public servants can do their jobs without fear of intimidation."

Williams' attorney was not immediately available to comment Friday.

Authorities charged Williams in October in connection with the crimes.

They alleged she sent hundreds of emails and voicemail messages using a robocall device to prosecutors in the Barry County Prosecutor’s Office, including the county prosecutor, after the office charged her husband. Williams' spouse subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges and was incarcerated.

After prosecutors instructed Williams to cease contacting them, she continued to send them harassing messages on their work and personal devices, investigators reported.

Williams is the latest person to be tried for harassing public officials.

In July, a man convicted of threatening to kill the Rochester Hills city clerk after the 2020 election was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison.

In May, a Westland man pleaded no contest to charges of sending threatening emails to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last fall. He is scheduled to be sentenced next Wednesday.

Last year, a northern Michigan man was charged in connection with allegedly harassing the Roscommon County administrator by email.

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