He will also be on supervised released after he gets out of prison.
Greenbelt, Md. (KM) – A West Virginia man is going to prison for threatening Dr. Anthony Fauci and other federal officials. Thomas Patrick Connally, 56, of Snowshoe, was sentenced on Thursday to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The US Attorney’s Office for Maryland says Connally threatened Dr. Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Francis Collins, the former Director of the National Institutes of Health; and Dr. Rachel Levine the current Assistant Secretary of Health for the US Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Fauci has been well known in the fight against COVID-19.
“Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal official’s life,” said US Attorney for Maryland Erek Barron, in a statement. “Threats like these will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Federal officials say Connally stated in his plea agreement that he threatened Dr. Fauci from December 28th, 2020 to July 25th, 2021, using an anonymous e-mail account. He told Fauci that he and his family would be dragged into the street, beaten to death and set on fire.
Also in his plea agreement, Connally said he sent Dr. Collins and his family four e-mails on April 24th, 2021, threatening them with physical assault and death if Dr. Collins did not stop speaking about the need for “mandatory” COVID-19 vaccinations.
On November 24th, 2020, Connally stated in his plea agreement that he threated Dr. Levine when she was Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health with violence and death. He also threatened a public health official in Massachusetts on August 31st, 2020, and four individuals who worked for a religious institution in Newark, New Jersey on April 21st, 2021.
“Today’s sentencing shows that individuals threatening violence against federal officials and others will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Christian Shrank, Deputy Inspection General for the US Department to Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, in a statement. “The public, including public servants, deserve the utmost safety and assurance that they can perform their duties without interference. Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring those who threaten violence to justice.”
By Kevin McManus