Florida Vet Smithson Sentenced for VA Threats

FLORIDA – Drummond Neil Smithson, a 31-year-old Army vet from Ayer, Mass., got his day in federal court today as he was sentenced to 14 months in prison for sending terroristic rants to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, also includes three years of supervised release for Smithson’s guilty plea to a single count of using interstate communications to transmit a threat to injure.

Smithson’s antics began on July 19, 2020, when he penned a letter of pure menace from his Massachusetts address to the VA. In it, he vowed revenge if his pension was touched: ‘If you take my pension there is going to be retaliation,’ and, ominously, ‘You take my pension and the second I get out of prison I will go to a Moms Demand Action meeting […] Try me.’

The letter specifically targeted Moms Demand Action, a group known for advocating against gun violence. It’s clear Smithson meant business, or at least he thought so.

Today’s announcement was a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance from the VA’s Office of Inspector General; the Miami Field Office of the FBI; and the Federal Medical Center’s Special Investigations Section at Devens.

Smithson’s sentence is a stark reminder that threats to federal agencies are taken seriously and can lead to severe penalties. Let this be a lesson for those who think they can get away with sending threats from the comfort of their own homes.