An Alabama man pleaded guilty Thursday to sending violent messages to Maricopa County election workers during the state's 2022 primary elections.
Between Aug. 2, 2022, to Aug. 4, 2022, 60-year-old Brian Ogstad of Cullman, Alabama, sent multiple threatening direct messages to an Instagram account maintained by Maricopa County Elections, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The threats were sent during Arizona's primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a nationally covered gubernatorial primary election.
In one instance Aug. 3, Ogstad stated, "You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes. [expletive] you! You are caught! They have it all. You [expletive] are dead," and, “You are lying, cheating [expletive] . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe."
Federal officials arrested Ogstad in February. His indictment alleged Ogstad referenced claims of voter fraud in addition to sending threatening messages.
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“Violent threats to election workers are threats to our democracy and democratic process. We cannot allow threats of violence against public servants to become normalized,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
Ogstad pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication and was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
A federal district court judge will decide any sentence, taking into account U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The functioning of our democracy requires that our country’s public servants be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “We have no tolerance for this kind of heinous criminal conduct and the danger it poses to people’s safety and to our democratic process. Threats and acts of violence targeting those who serve the public will be met with the full force of the United States Justice Department.”
The case was part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, a division created in 2021 that assesses threats against election workers in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Alabama man pleads guilty to sending violent online messages to Arizona election workers
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