Laramie Man Gets Federal Prison for Threatening Elected Officials

A 52-year-old Laramie man who admitted to threatening various elected officials in January has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Murray announced Tuesday.

Christopher Kent Podlesnik was indicted in March on seven counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. He took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to four of the counts in August.

Murray says Podlesnik left profanity-laced, threatening voicemails for various state and federal elected officials, including U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso; U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz; and Wyoming State Senator Anthony Bouchard.

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In a voicemail left for Lummis, Podlesnik said, among other things, "You are going to [expletive] get shot in the [expletive] back of the head." He also left a voicemail for Bouchard saying, "You're a [expletive] traitor, and you deserve to be shot."

"As Americans, we cherish the freedoms secured by our Bill of Rights, including our freedom of speech," said Murray. "However, the criminal threats Christopher Podlesnik made with the intent to place multiple victims in fear of injury or death are not free speech protected by the Constitution."

In addition to the 18-month sentence, Podlesnik was also slapped with a $10,000 fine.

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