Man pleads guilty to threats of violence over mask dispute at Maplewood gym

A Maplewood man entered a guilty plea on Monday over an incident where he pointed a gun at a gym manager for people not following the mask mandate back in December of last year.

According to court records, 64-year-old Michael Marland Florhaug pleaded guilty to one count of threats of violence. He is set to be sentenced on Aug. 23.

The complaint states that on Dec. 31, 2020, at about 5:30 p.m., Florhaug went to the LA Fitness located on the 1900 block of County Road D in Maplewood to personally monitor whether members were complying with the state-mandated mask requirement for gyms.

He became angry in speaking with the manager of the gym over some people not wearing their masks while inside the gym. He then pulled a gun out and pointed it at the manager, who in response was able to tackle Florhaug and prevent him from entering the gym.