Idaho man sentenced for threatening an FBI agent
Published at
The following is a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice for the District of Idaho.
BOISE – A federal judge sentenced a Middleton man to three years of supervised probation for threatening an FBI Agent, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho, announced Friday.
According to court records, Jerald Reutzel, 48, of Middleton, Idaho, contacted a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent through text messaging in November of 2020. In the text message, Reutzel falsely accused the FBI agent of failing to investigate a local crime, referred to the agent with profane slurs, and threatened to assault the agent. Reutzel sent the threat on account of the FBI agent’s performance of his official duties and intended to threaten the FBI Special Agent. Reutzel was interviewed by law enforcement, where he admitted to sending the text message, acknowledged the message was threatening, but denied intending to carry out the threat.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also gave Reutzel credit for serving 136 days in custody, and ordered he pay a $500 fine and a $100 special assessment.
“At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, one of our most solemn obligations is to support our law enforcement partners. Law enforcement agents protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to their safety, often at great personal sacrifice and risk,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Our office will not tolerate threats of violence against these public servants at any level.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit made the announcement and commended the combined efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, which led to charges.
EastIdahoNews.com comment boards are a place for open, honest, and civil communication between readers regarding the news of the day and issues facing our communities. We encourage commenters to stay on topic, use positive and constructive language, and be empathetic to the feelings of other commenters. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Click here for more details on our commenting rules.