A New Hampshire man faces up to 10 years in prison after threatening to kill a U.S. senator because he was angry that the senator was “blocking military promotions,” according to federal court documents.
The The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire announced Friday that Brian Landry, 66, of Franklin, NH, had been charged with threatening to assault, kidnap or kill a United States official.
Mr. Landry called a senator’s district field office on May 17 and left a threatening voicemail, according to court documents. The senator who was threatened by Mr. Landry was not named in the court filings, which listed only that the senator has been in office since January 2021.
“Hey stupid, I’m a veteran sniper,” Mr. Landy said on the voicemail. “Unless you change your ways, I have my scope pointed in your direction and I’m coming for you. You’re a dead man walking,” he said, adding some expletives.
Investigators located Mr. Landry based on the phone number associated with the message, according to the United States attorney’s office. When Mr. Landry was interviewed by investigators, admitted he had called the senator’s office, although he initially said he did not remember what he had said in the message, according to court documents.
During the interview, Mr. Landry told investigators he was “extremely angry with certain politicians for their handling of important veterans’ entitlement programs,” according to the criminal complaint.
Landry later told investigators he had called the senator’s office because he had heard the senator was “blocking military promotions,” the criminal complaint said.
Mr. Landry is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire on July 12, according to court documents. If convicted, Mr. Landry could face penalties that include up to 10 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
A lawyer for Mr. Landry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Elected officials, politicians and their families have faced an increase in threats in recent years as violent political speech has become more common. These threats made in voicemails and through social media have sometimes become more specific, as was the case last June, when a man, who was armed with a gun, a knife and other weapons, said that he moved to the address of Justice. Brett M. Kavanaugh with the intent to kill the Supreme Court Justice. In October, a man broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco and beat her husband with a hammer, fracturing his skull.
Although federal prosecutors did not identify the senator targeted, the promotions of senior military commanders were celebrated in the Senate as they became embroiled in the debate over abortion policy after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.
