A 52-year-old Laramie, Wyoming man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for threatening various elected officials in the state and at the federal level.
Christopher Kent Podlesnik pleaded guilty to four counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. In addition to the prison time, he was also ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and undergo three years of supervised release with special conditions.
The charges against Podlesnik stem from a series of voicemail messages he left for elected officials on January 28, 2021. The messages included profanity-laced and threatening language, with Podlesnik stating that he intended to harm several of the officials.
Among the officials targeted by Podlesnik were United States Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, as well as United States Representative Matt Gaetz and Wyoming State Senator Anthony Bouchard.
In a voicemail left for Senator Lummis, Podlesnik said, ‘You are going to [expletive] get shot in the [expletive] back of the head.’ In a message to Senator Bouchard, he stated, ‘You’re a [expletive] traitor, and you deserve to be shot.’
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Murray, the threats made by Podlesnik were not protected by the Constitution and ‘cost him a hefty fine and 18 months in federal prison.’
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Szott, with the FBI’s Denver Division leading the investigation.
Mandatory Facts:
- Defendant/Respondent: Christopher Kent Podlesnik
- Criminal Charges: Transmitting threats in interstate commerce
- City and State: Laramie, Wyoming
- Exact Date: January 28, 2021
- Sentence/Outcome: 18 months imprisonment, $10,000 fine, 3 years supervised release
- Dollar Amounts: $10,000 fine, $400 special assessments
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Key Facts
- State: Wyoming
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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