New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening to Kill United States Senator

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New York City was sentenced in federal court in West Virginia to 16 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction for threatening a federal official, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Gina M. Groh of the Northern District of West Virginia imposed the sentence on Robert F. Crosson, 60, who pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2023.

According to information presented to the Court in connection with Crosson’s guilty plea, on February 9, 2022, the defendant placed a telephone call to the Martinsburg, West Virginia, office of a United States Senator and left a voicemail that included the threat that there was “a bullet coming to your head soon.” In imposing the sentence, Judge Groh noted the seriousness of the offense and also stressed the importance of deterring threats of violence against public officials.

This prosecution was handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, following the recusal of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Capitol Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Crosson.