Threats from Behind Bars: Boykin Sentenced to 51 Months for Mailing Threats

A federal prisoner has been sentenced to an additional 51 months in prison for mailing threats to government officials and family members from behind bars.

Stephen Elbert Boykin, 52, a federal prisoner at Federal Correctional Institution Gilmer, was handed down the sentence in a West Virginia courtroom by Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh.

According to court documents and statements made in court, prison staff intercepted several threatening letters Boykin attempted to mail while incarcerated. The letters contained threats against high-profile government officials, including President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Boykin was also found to have directed threats at an Assistant U.S. Attorney in South Carolina, where he was last prosecuted. This is not the first time Boykin has been charged with a crime related to mailing threats. At the time of the crime, he was serving a 125-month sentence for mailing threatening communications to federal officials.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons conducting the investigation.

The sentence brings an end to a case that highlights the dangers of federal prisoners being able to carry out their violent tendencies from behind bars. The harsh sentence is a reminder that those who commit crimes while incarcerated will be held accountable for their actions.

Boykin’s additional 51-month sentence is a stark reminder that federal prisoners will not be given free rein to carry out their violent tendencies from behind bars. The swift and severe justice handed down to Boykin serves as a warning to others who may think they can get away with similar crimes while incarcerated.