Man Gets Probation for Threat on Carson

A Milwaukee man pleaded guilty Monday in Pasadena Superior Court to threatening “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson and was placed on five years probation on condition that he enter a treatment program and stay away from celebrities.

Ken Orville Gause, 37, was arrested Nov. 28, 1989, at the NBC Studios in Burbank after he walked into the main lobby and demanded to speak to Carson. Police said Gause, who was carrying two homemade clubs, had threatened to kill Carson unless the entertainer paid Gause $5 million.

Gause pleaded guilty to all charges--five counts of sending threatening extortion letters to the entertainer and five of making terrorist threats against him. Police said Gause had sent a number of letters and tape recordings threatening to kill Carson and other celebrities and threatening to blow up NBC’s Burbank studios.

Judge Charles Lee ordered Gause to be escorted by a court officer directly from court to Gause’s residence in Milwaukee, where he has agreed to enter a treatment program. Lee ruled last year that Gause was mentally incompetent to stand trial and suspended criminal proceedings until Gause received psychological treatment at a state hospital.

Under terms of the plea agreement, an eight-year prison sentence was suspended and he was given a year in County Jail, with credit for the time already spent in custody.

Gause was also prohibited from having any contact with Carson or any other celebrity, and was ordered to go through a celebrity’s agent if he has any legitimate business dealings with entertainers.

Gause was prohibited from leaving Wisconsin without permission and, if he is permitted to leave, authorities there must notify their California counterparts immediately.

Any violation of the terms of probation could result in Gause being ordered to serve the eight-year prison term, Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert Cohen said.