As evidence that the Trump Justice Department is taking anti-Semitic threats seriously, a Las Vegas meth addict has received nearly four-year prison sentence.
The case stems from menacing messages sent to a couple of senators, including Jewish Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and her family.
John Anthony Miller was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The 44-year-old made threatening calls to Rosen, who is Jewish and renowned for her strong pro-Israel stance.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey handed down the sentence after Miller pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a federal official and two counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member.
The Justice Department’s press release describes the threats as “vile, dehumanizing, and shameful.”
According to court documents, Miller made the threatening calls in October 2023, referencing the Israel-Hamas war and the Holocaust.
The timing coincided with the early stages of Israel’s defensive military operations following Hamas’s October 7th terrorist attack that killed 1,200 Israelis.
Although threats against public officials should always be condemned, Miller’s defense attorney claimed that his client suffers from serious drug addiction issues and was under the influence of methamphetamine during the incidents.
After making the threatening calls, Miller attempted to find Rosen at a federal courthouse in Las Vegas but was turned away for failing to provide identification. He was arrested a week later and has remained in custody since then.
“I felt the sentence was a little harsh for a nonviolent offender with a minimal criminal record, but we respect the court’s ruling and look forward to John moving forward and dealing with his addiction,” said Jess Marchese, Miller’s lawyer.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office led the investigation with assistance from local law enforcement.
In a statement responding to the sentencing, a spokesperson for Rosen’s office emphasized that “threats against public officials should be taken seriously.”
The DOJ’s Sue J. Bai added, “Today’s sentence reflects the Department’s firm resolve to holding accountable those who seek to intimidate and harm our public officials. Such threats of violence have no place in our country.”
Miller also allegedly made threats against the family of another unnamed U.S. senator during the same period.
The DOJ has encouraged the public to report any threats or violent acts to the FBI or local authorities as they continue their aggressive prosecution of cases they deem threats to government officials.
