Brooke County Man Sentenced For Threatening Police Officers

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WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A 42-year old Brooke County, West Virginia, resident was sentenced to prison for threatening to harm local law enforcement officers.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that JAMES W. RICHARD was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison to be followed by two years of supervised release as a result of his conviction for “Mailing Threatening Communications.” RICHARD admitted to sending letters from the Northern Regional Jail containing threats to harm a Wellsburg police officer as well as a Brooke County sheriff’s deputy. The officers he threatened were involved in the investigation of RICHARD for “Breaking and Entering”, “Domestic Assault”, and “Brandishing a Deadly Weapon.” RICHARD was later convicted of those charges and was serving time for those offenses when he mailed the letters.

“Whenever a law enforcement officer is threatened with bodily harm my office is going to do everything it can to make sure that those responsible for making the threats are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “We must protect our police officers so that they can protect the communities that they bravely serve each day.”

RICHARD, who was sentenced to prison by Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.