Pickens County Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Mailing Threatening Letter to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Simon Peter Long, age 32, of Easley, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Anderson by Senior United States District Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr. to 87 months in prison for mailing a threatening communication to harm a U.S. governmental official (Title 18, United States Code, Section 876(c). Judge Anderson also ordered that, after being released from prison, Long will serve a period of three years of supervised release.

Long pled guilty before Judge Anderson on June 25, 2013. Had the case gone to trial, the government was prepared to show that on about November 27, 2012, Long wrote a letter to Senator Graham stating, “I hope you are happy with the job you are doing as a U.S. Senator. Cause frankly I’m not, along with a bunch of other people just like me. I’m going to take great pride in kill [sic] you. I’ve got a bullet with your name on it along with your family. So watch your back. Cause it’s comeing [sic]. You can count on it. Yours truly, Simon Long.” After receiving the letter, Senator Graham’s office contacted federal law enforcement authorities. Long was interviewed at the Pickens County Detention Center where he was being held on pending state charges. Long admitted to FBI agents that he had written the letter, meant what he said, and still felt the same way. At the sentencing hearing, Long stated that he no longer felt animosity toward Senator Graham.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office handled the case.