CINCINNATI – A Chillicothe man already behind bars added years to his sentence after a federal judge slammed him with 36 months in prison for a campaign of terror delivered through the U.S. Mail. Rodney D. Cydrus, 48, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for sending menacing letters to a string of government officials, including the President of the United States.
The threats originated from within the walls of Lebanon Correctional Institution, where Cydrus was an inmate at the time of the offenses. Between January 2017, Cydrus penned and mailed at least five letters riddled with violent promises aimed at federal employees. The FBI and the Federal Public Defender’s Office bore the brunt of his rage, receiving four and one letter respectively.
Court documents reveal the chilling language used in the letters. One missive to the FBI read, in part, “You are one dead motherfucker…As soon as I get out I’m going to get everybody I can in your office…Die Die…I promise my word I’ll get at least 30 of you before you kill me.” Cydrus didn’t stop at verbal threats, declaring his intent to “go out with a bang” by either killing or kidnapping a federal agent.
Adding another layer of danger, Cydrus included a powdered substance – later identified as his own medication – in at least one of the envelopes. This triggered two HAZMAT team responses, forcing employees who handled the letters into quarantine. U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman emphasized the severity of Cydrus’s actions. “The federal officials whom Cydrus targeted have hard enough jobs as it is,” Glassman stated. “Disrupting operations and creating an atmosphere of fear is a serious offense.”
Cydrus was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2017 and ultimately pleaded guilty on January 18 to one count of mailing threatening communications. The case was a joint effort by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, with Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan leading the prosecution. Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Cincinnati Division, were also involved in the investigation.
This sentencing sends a clear message: threatening federal officials won’t be tolerated. Cydrus’s three-year sentence serves as a stark reminder that those who attempt to intimidate or endanger those sworn to protect the public will face the full force of the law. The Department of Justice Southern District of Ohio continues to prioritize investigations into threats against government personnel.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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