Man pleads guilty to harassing Rep. Pramila Jayapal
Jun 30, 2023, 7:08 AM | Updated: 7:32 am
Left: U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Right: Brett Forsell
The man arrested for stalking Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal at her Seattle home about a year ago was sentenced Thursday after changing his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty”
49-year-old Brett Forsell was originally arrested on malicious harassment charges last July following an incident outside Jayapal’s home in West Seattle.
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At the time, Jayapal and her husband said they heard men screaming expletives directed at them and telling the Congresswoman to “go back to India.” They told Seattle Police a similar incident had happened about a week before.
When Forsell was arraigned last year, he pled “not guilty” to charges of felony stalking.
During Thursday’s appearance in King County Superior Court, Forsell pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of misdemeanor stalking. He then admitted to harassing the Representative.
Court documents say he repeatedly drove in front of her house, stopped the car, yelled at her house, and then drove off late at night.
The judge sentenced him to 340 days in the King County Jail — time already served — as well as unsupervised probation for two years. He was also ordered to be evaluated for mental health, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse and receive cognitive therapy.
Forsell must also have no more contact with Rep. Jayapal and may not possess a firearm for 8 years.
