A Philadelphia resident, John Courtney Pollard, was sentenced on Mar. 31 to 10 months in prison and fined $5,000 after being convicted of threatening to kill a Pennsylvania poll watcher, according to United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of election workers and the seriousness with which authorities treat threats against those involved in maintaining free and fair elections.
Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Pollard, age 63. In addition to his prison term, Pollard will serve one year of supervised release. According to information presented in court, Pollard sent four threatening iMessages over a span of about ten minutes on September 6, 2024. The victim had posted online seeking volunteers for poll watching and included a phone number. After initially expressing interest in volunteering as a poll watcher using the victim’s first name, Pollard sent three subsequent messages containing explicit death threats.
United States Attorney Troy Rivetti said: “This prosecution, and the Court’s sentence of incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons, sends a clear and unmistakable message that threats against election workers and other public servants will be met with swift, certain, and just punishment. Our office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting free and fair elections.”
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec also addressed the outcome: “Among the FBI’s highest priorities is protecting the freedom and integrity of our election system. Threatening those tasked with upholding this process by weaponizing fear carries very real consequences. Our country relies on free and fair elections, and the FBI and our partners will hold accountable anyone who thinks they can impact it.”
In court, an impact statement from Victim 1 described how Pollard’s texts led to “a year-long ordeal filled with fear and constant vigilance” for them personally. The statement urged zero tolerance for such death threats against civic or political figures: “Many of us are simply fulfilling our civic duty yet we are becoming targets of a kind of hatred that is difficult to describe.” Judge Bissoon emphasized that while Pollard had no prior criminal history or record—and accepted responsibility—the serious nature of his actions required more than probation: “Political violence is real,” she said; “death threats” like those made by Pollard would not be tolerated.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case. U.S. Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work leading up to this prosecution.
