Federal Grand Jury Indicts Texas Man for Mailing Threats to Law Enforcement

DALLAS—A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Jesse Brister, aka “Bozo,” with two counts of mailing threatening communications to law enforcement, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. Brister, 27, of Conroe, Texas, is presently in custody in the Texas prison system, in New Boston, Texas, in an unrelated case. A date has not yet been set for him to make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in federal court in Dallas.

“Based on the serious nature of the threats in these letters, resources were diverted from important investigations, such as those in Kaufman County, to investigate these threats, which ultimately proved to be hoaxes,” said U.S. Attorney Saldaña. “Such threats cause significant diversions of law enforcement resources and result in substantial disruption of public services. They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The indictment alleges that on two occasions, on or about March 21, 2013, and on or about March 28, 2013, Brister mailed a communication, addressed to the U.S. Attorney in Dallas, that contained a threat to injure someone in retaliation for the prosecution of members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, each count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation into these threats was conducted by the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers (Texas Department of Public Safety), the FBI, and other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham is prosecuting.