A California man was sentenced to three years behind bars after sending threatening messages to dozens of journalists, politicians and their families after the 2020 presidential election and during the January 6 Capitol riot.
Prosecutors said that Robert Lemke, 36, targeted those people “for the perceived offense of stating the facts” about then-President Donald Trump‘s loss in the election.
Lemke pleaded guilty in mid-October to one count of making threatening interstate communications to a New York-based family member of one journalist while the Capitol riot was taking place.
He told the family member that the journalist’s “words are putting you and your family at risk. We are nearby, armed and ready. Thousands of us are active/retired law enforcement, military, etc. That’s how we do it.”
The message was part of a string of threatening communications he sent to journalists, members of Congress, other politicians and families on January 6 as a mob breached the Capitol building and disrupted the certification process for President Joe Biden‘s election victory.
Lemke also sent threats that day to the brother of a U.S. congressman based in New York City because of the politician’s statements about the 2020 election results, the Department of Justice said in a press release. He texted the brother pictures of a home in his neighborhood and said that the congressman was “putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words.”
“We are armed and nearby your house. You had better have a word with him. We are not far from his either,” the messages said.
“Stop telling lies; Biden did not win, he will not be president. We are not[ ] white supremacists. Most of us are active/retired law enforcement or military. You are putting your family at risk. We have armed members near your home . . . . . Don’t risk their safety with your words and lies,” he added.
The DOJ said that Lemke used at least three phone numbers and several electronic accounts to conceal his identity while sending threatening audio and electronic messages to about 50 people from November of 2020 through early January of 2021. He is not a former or current member of the U.S. military or law enforcement.
John Minchillo/AP Photo
Lemke was sentenced on Monday in Manhattan federal court, according to Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
“Robert Lemke, refusing to accept the result of the 2020 presidential election, sent messages threatening dozens of victims, including journalists, elected officials, and their families, for the perceived offense of stating the facts,” Williams said in a statement.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein sentenced Lemke to three years of supervised release.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
