A Robertsdale man who described himself as the “angel of death” will spend 17 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent in 2022.

Court records show 49-year-old David Clarence Shaw Jr. admitted to placing three phone calls to the FBI Operations Center in Mobile on Oct. 17, 2022. During the third call, Shaw threatened to hang individuals, specifically Black people.

It was during that call he referred to himself as the “angel of death” and went on to threaten the DEA agent. Shaw made additional threats against other federal agents if he did not hear back from the FBI within a day.

The agent he threatened was a Mobile County deputy who had been assigned to the DEA task force. Prosecutors said Shaw threatened the agent in retaliation for a previous arrest while working as a deputy.

FBI agents arrested Shaw at a gas station in Baldwin County nor far from his home and admitted during an interview with agents he had made the threatening phone calls. Phone company records confirmed the calls were made from Shaw’s phone.

Shaw entered his admission of guilt through a plea agreement with federal prosecutors last October. Shaw will receive credit for time served since his arrest in October 2022 and will undergo substance abuse and mental health treatment while imprisoned.

After his release, he will be subject to three years probation, which will include mandatory drug testing and mental health treatment.

State court records indicate Shaw has previous convictions for breaking and entering (1994), DUI (1996) and cocaine possession (2001).

During previous trials, the question of Shaw’s mental competency has been raised, as it was during this trial.

In 2013, Shaw was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a handgun. He pleaded guilty, admitting in court he had fired a .45 caliber pistol at his Loxley home and his neighbors called the police.

Shaw was released on bond pending sentencing, with one of the stipulations of his release being he have no contact with the neighbors who had called police about the gunfire. Roughly three months later, his bond was revoked after federal prosecutors obtained threatening voicemails left by Shaw on the neighbor’s phone.

He was ultimately sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, with the judge ordering he be incarcerated at an institution with substance abuse and mental health treatment programs available.