Cody A. Cape, Threatening to Murder a Federal Law Enforcement Officer, Nebraska 2021

Blair Man Sentenced for Plot to Kill Federal Fish and Wildlife Officer

A Blair man has been sentenced for his role in a plot to kill a federal fish and wildlife officer.

Cody A. Cape, 24, was sentenced to 117 months' incarceration for Threatening to Murder a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and Carrying and Using a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. There is no parole in the federal system.

Upon his release, Cape will serve a 3-year term of Supervised Release.

The investigation began in October 2020, when Cape was cited by a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Officer for a fishing violation.

Cape and his friend were subjects of an ongoing poaching investigation that was being investigated by the Officer. During the course of this investigation, Cape's phone was seized pursuant to a search warrant.

On December 24, 2020, Cape was picked up by his friend and directed him to drive to the Officer's personal residence in Blair. He then had his friend drive him to an apartment in Omaha, where he retrieved a .45 caliber handgun and a rifle.

Cape directed his friend to drive to the Desoto National Wildlife Refuge to look for the Officer, but his friend refused. Cape then placed his handgun on his lap and directed his friend to take him to the refuge.

After their return from the refuge, Cape discussed ways he planned to kill the Officer, including using C4, TNT, or dynamite. He discussed wiring explosives to the Officer's USFWS vehicle or throwing explosives through a window into the Officer's residence to kill the Officer and his family.

Cape's friend later contacted police to report what had happened and Cape's statements.

Cape was located by Blair Police Department officers on December 25, 2020, and had a .45 caliber handgun in his vehicle.

He was interviewed by FBI and USFWS officers and admitted to making statements about killing the Officer, although he claimed he was not serious.

Cape stated he was under a lot of stress due to the Officer's poaching investigation.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Blair Police Department.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ne/pr/blair-man-sentenced-plot-kill-federal-fish-and-wildlife-officer