Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening an Armed Attack Against the Polk County Department of Human Services Office

FORT SMITH, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Gregory Judge, age 50 of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty today to making interstate threats to injure a case worker at the Polk County Department of Human Services (DHS) and to commit an armed attack against the office. Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III presided over the plea in federal court.

United States Attorney Eldridge commented, “Mass threats of violence, like the ones made by Gregory Judge, are something this office takes very seriously, especially in light of recent events. This office will continue to protect an individual’s right to be free from fear, and those who attempt to evoke terror in our communities will be brought to justice.”

According to court records, on October 10, 2012, Judge placed a phone call to Polk County Department of Human Services regarding his child, with whom his parental rights had been terminated. During this call, Judge became angry and made several threats to a case worker. Judge threatened to blow up the DHS offices and kill everyone in the building. He then referenced mass shootings in schools and told the case worker that he was going to do the same before December 2012. Judge stated that, while he planned to die during the attack, he was going to make sure he killed every person at the DHS before law enforcement killed him.

Judge was originally indicted on November 27, 2012. At sentencing, he will face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

This case was investigated by the Mena Police Department, the Polk County Prosecuting Attorney, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Glen Hines is prosecuting the case for the United States.