Eugene Huelsman, Threats Against Elected Official, Florida 2021

A California man has been sentenced to six months home confinement for making threatening phone calls to a Florida congressman’s office.

Eugene Huelsman, 59, of Thousand Oaks, California, was sentenced to six months home confinement on one count of transmission of a threat in interstate commerce, announced Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On January 9, 2021, Huelsman made a profanity-laced voicemail threatening to kill Congressman Matthew Gaetz and members of his family. The United States Capitol Police were contacted when the threat was made, triggering security protocols related to the victim.

The investigation revealed that this was not the first time Huelsman made threats involving political figures. He had previously been investigated by the United States Secret Service for threatening a member of a former President’s family on social media.

‘Words matter,’ said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. ‘And this sentencing should serve as a warning. Everyone has the right to express their opinion, but when you harass, intimidate, and threaten violence against others, it’s a federal crime that will not be tolerated.’

Huelsman’s home confinement will be followed by five years’ probation, and a $10,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.