DENVER—Following a three-day trial, a jury late last week found Theron Maxton, age 59, an incarcerated inmate, guilty of four counts of influencing a federal officer by threats to the officer and/or the officer’s family member, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI announced. The jury deliberated for approximately three two hours before handing down their guilty verdicts. The trial was held before U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer, starting on January 20, 2015, and concluding on January 22, 2015. At the conclusion of each trial day, as well as at the conclusion of the trial, Maxton was remanded into custody.

Maxton was an inmate at the Florence Correctional Complex, in both the United States Penitentiary and the Federal Correctional Institution at the time he made the threats. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Brimmer on May 1, 2015.

According to the Second Superseding Indictment, obtained on May 8, 2014, in November of 2012 the defendant allegedly threatened to assault or murder prison correctional officers, and in some cases, their families, in retaliation of the officers performing their official duties. The threats were made in letters, either to the correctional officer directly, or in one instance to a former now released cellmate. In that letter, Mr. Maxton attempted to persuade the former inmate to kill the Prison staff members and their families. In December of 2012, Maxton also said directly to an FBI special agent that if given the opportunity he would try to kill prison staff members.

For each count of influencing a federal official by threats to the officer and/or family member, the defendant faces not more than 10 years, and up to a $250,000 fine, per count, for each of the four counts.

This case was investigate by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The trial was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tonini and Valeria Spencer.