Kevin P. Smith, a 46-year-old man from Kalispell, Montana, has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for threatening to kill U.S. Senator Jon Tester. The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Smith pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to murder a U.S. Senator after Tester’s staff discovered multiple threatening voicemails on the senator’s phone on January 30.
According to prosecutors, Smith left 60 voicemails at Tester’s Kalispell office. In one of the voicemails, Smith allegedly stated, “There is nothing I want more than to have you stand toe to toe with me. You stand toe to toe with me. I rip your head off. You die. You stand in a situation where it is physical between you and me. You die.” Another voicemail reportedly included the statement, “I would love to f——- kill you. I would love to see your FBI at my door. I would love to see something in the news.”
The threatening voicemails prompted an investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI. During Smith’s arrest, authorities discovered 19 guns at his residence, including four shotguns, five rifles, eight pistols, a homemade silencer, and 1,186 rounds of ammunition.
Prosecutors emphasized the importance of public discourse in a free society but stated that Smith had repeatedly crossed the line. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case. Following his prison term, Smith will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Author: Ryan Scott
Just a guy