Allan Poller, Threatening a Member of Congress, New Hampshire 2023

A Keene man has been convicted of threatening a member of Congress after leaving a disturbing voicemail message. Allan Poller, 24, pleaded guilty to transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another in federal court.

According to court documents, on March 29, 2023, Poller called the Washington, D.C. office of a member of the United States House of Representatives and left a threatening voicemail message. In the message, Poller stated that he would kill the congressman if he continued to pursue certain issues.

Poller later admitted to placing the call and leaving the message, citing anger after watching videos on the social media application TikTok while drinking. He was arrested on April 3, 2023, and is currently awaiting sentencing.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Capitol Police, with valuable assistance provided by the Keene Police Department and Springfield, Vermont Police Department.

Poller is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2024. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad E. Hodes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Chen.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced Poller’s guilty plea, emphasizing the seriousness of the threat. ‘Threats against members of Congress will not be tolerated,’ Young said. ‘We take these threats very seriously and will continue to investigate and prosecute those who engage in this type of behavior.’

Poller’s guilty plea serves as a reminder of the consequences of making threats against public officials. The public is reminded that threatening a member of Congress is a serious crime with severe penalties.