Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Threats to Kill Election Official
PITTSBURGH, Pa. / Tuesday, March 31, 2026 - A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine on his conviction of threatening to kill a Pennsylvania poll watcher from the Western District of Pennsylvania, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on John Courtney Pollard, 63, also ordering Pollard to serve one year of supervised release following his prison term.
According to information presented to the Court, on September 6, 2024, Pollard sent Victim 1, a Regional Election Integrity Director, four iMessages over the course of about 10 minutes. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to help “observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then texted Victim 1 three threats:
• “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”
• “Your days are numbered, B****!”
• “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”
“This prosecution, and the Court’s sentence of incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons, sends a clear and unmistakable message that threats against election workers and other public servants will be met with swift, certain, and just punishment,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Our office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting free and fair elections.”
“Among the FBI’s highest priorities is protecting the freedom and integrity of our election system,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “Threatening those tasked with upholding this process by weaponizing fear carries very real consequences. Our country relies on free and fair elections, and the FBI and our partners will hold accountable anyone who thinks they can impact it.”
An impact statement from Victim 1 read in Court detailed how Pollard’s “threatening texts began a year-long ordeal filled with fear and constant vigilance” for the victim, and urged the Court to “send a strong message to the country—that there is zero tolerance for making death threats against anyone, especially those serving in political or civic roles. Many of us are simply fulfilling our civic duty, yet we are becoming targets of a kind of hatred that is difficult to describe.”
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon noted that the victim suffered greatly as a consequence of what Pollard did and that the sentence balanced the defendant’s lack of criminal history and acceptance of responsibility with the very serious nature of his action and the need to protect the public. Judge Bissoon firmly rejected the defense request for a sentence of probation, stressing that “political violence is real,” and that “death threats” such as those made by the defendant will not be tolerated.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States, with valuable assistance from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN). PIN oversees the investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes affecting government integrity, including bribery of public officials, election crimes, and other related offenses. PIN handles cases independently but also often works in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices on investigating and prosecuting these crimes.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pollard.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania
