Prison inmate indicted for threatening federal judges

A five-count Indictment charging Joseph A. Huber, 47, formerly of Cleveland, with threatening to kill two federal judges and to blow up the federal buildings they respectively preside in, said U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon and U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott.

The indictment alleges that on September 26, 2016, Huber wrote a letter to Cleveland-based U.S. District Court Judge Christopher A. Boyko and threatened to kill him and members of his family.  In that same letter, Huber additionally threatened to blow up the “fancy federal building” where Judge Boyko presides and kill a federal prosecutor that previously convicted Huber in 2014.

The Indictment next alleges that on September 26, 2016, Huber wrote a letter to Akron-based U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen B. Burke and threatened to kill her for dismissing a civil suit Huber had previously filed.  Like the letter to Judge Boyko, Huber threatened to blow up the federal courthouse where Magistrate Judge Burke presides.

Finally, the Indictment alleges that on October 6, 2016, Huber wrote another letter to Magistrate Judge Burke and threatened to kill her.

If convicted, the sentence in this case will be determined by the court after consideration of the federal sentencing guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the unique characteristics of the violation.  In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benedict S. Gullo.  The case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service—Office of Protective Intelligence.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.