Gary Joseph Gravelle Charged in 16-Count Hoax Threat Indictment

GARY JOSEPH GRAVELLE, also known as Roland Prejean, 51, of New Haven, is staring down 16 federal charges tied to a wave of terror-by-mail that rippled across Connecticut, Vermont, and Washington in September 2018. A federal grand jury in New Haven returned the indictment yesterday, accusing Gravelle of using the U.S. mail, email, and phone lines to threaten mass casualties, target federal officials, and fabricate biological terror with fake Anthrax letters.

According to the indictment, Gravelle mailed letters laced with a white powdery substance labeled as Anthrax — a federally designated biological toxin. The threats targeted a chillingly broad list: mental health providers and facilities in New Haven, U.S. Probation Officers, a sitting U.S. District Court Judge, an international airport in Burlington, Vermont, a federal prison in Washington, occupants of a building in Old Saybrook, a credit union in Bristol, and multiple religious and community organizations across Connecticut. One letter crossed the ultimate line — a direct threat to assassinate the President of the United States.

Gravelle wasn’t a free man when he allegedly orchestrated this campaign. He was arrested on September 8, 2018, for violating his federal supervised release — the same supervision stemming from a 2013 conviction for sending threatening communications. He has remained in custody since that arrest, now facing a new gauntlet of charges that could extend his life behind bars. Federal authorities say his actions weren’t just reckless — they were deliberate, coordinated, and designed to inflict fear.

The 16-count indictment breaks down into three distinct but equally dangerous offenses. Twelve counts charge Gravelle with maliciously conveying false information about explosives — each carrying a maximum 10-year prison sentence. Three counts stem from the hoax Anthrax letters, each punishable by up to five years in prison. The final count, making threats against the President, carries another five-year maximum. If convicted on all counts, Gravelle could face decades more in federal prison.

Multiple federal agencies converged on the investigation: the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the probe. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also credited critical support from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and over a dozen local departments — including those in Bristol, Guilford, Groton, Hartford, Middletown, New Haven, Old Saybrook, and Southington. Yale University and Vermont authorities in Burlington also assisted, underscoring the widespread disruption caused by the threats.

U.S. Attorney John H. Durham emphasized that the indictment is not evidence of guilt — Gravelle is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed is prosecuting the case. As communities from New Haven to Burlington breathe easier, the legal reckoning for Gary Joseph Gravelle is just beginning.