Madison Man Charged with Making Telephone Threat

MADISON—John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that William O. Diederich, 61, Madison, Wisconsin, has been charged with using a telephone to make a threat.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison yesterday, Diederich was charged with threatening to damage and destroy a building and to kill and injure individuals by means of an explosive. The complaint alleges that he made this threat using a telephone on February 24, 2012.

This charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Diederich was arrested earlier today at a residence in Pickerel, Wisconsin. He will make an initial appearance in federal court in Madison at 3:00 p.m. today.

The charge against Diederich was the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department and FBI. The prosecution of this matter has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Anderson.

You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.