Alabama Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Making Threats Against Maricopa County Elections Office

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 30 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Judge Liburdi also ordered Ogstad to pay a $1,000 fine. Ogstad pleaded guilty to one count of Making a Threatening Interstate Communication on July 25, 2024.

“In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.”

“As Director Wray has said many times, threats of violence toward election workers are also threats to the democratic process and cannot become normalized,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown. “The FBI takes seriously all threats of violence against public officials, and we will continue to assess them and take swift action as necessary.”

On August 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through August 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening messages to an Instagram social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For example, on or about August 3, 2022, Ogstad stated, (1) “You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) “[expletive] you! You are caught! They have it all. You [expletive] are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating [expletive] . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You [expletive] are so dead.” On or about August 4, 2022, Ogstad further stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking [sic] stupid. Everyone knows you are lots [sic], cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang [expletive]!”

The FBI Phoenix Field Office, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-03130-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-142_Ogstad

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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