Indiana man gets 14 months in prison for threatening Michigan election worker
(CBS DETROIT) - An Indiana man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for sending death threats to a Michigan election worker following the 2020 election, officials said.
On Nov. 10, 2020, Andrew Nickels, 38, of Carmel, contacted a local municipality's clerk and left them a voicemail in which he threatened to kill them.
In part of the voicemail, Nickels said, "We're watching your…mouth talk about how you think that there's no irregularities … [Y]ou frauded out America of a real election."
He also told that local official, "You're gonna pay for it," and described how "ten million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it," according to court documents.
In the message, he also said, "[W]e'll [expletive] kill you…[Y]ou will [expletive] pay for your [expletive] lying ass remarks…We will [expletive] take you out. [Expletive] your family, [expletive] your life, and you deserve a [expletive] throat to the knife…Watch your [expletive] back…watch your [expletive] back."
On Feb. 27, Nickels pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication.
"The defendant repeatedly threatened the life of a Michigan election worker because she publicly defended the integrity of the 2020 election that she helped administer," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Our democracy depends on the willingness of election workers to do their jobs without having to live in fear. Today's sentence should serve as yet another reminder that the Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten violence to influence how our public servants administer elections."
