Tampa, Florida. A Florida dentist entered a guilty plea to four counts of interstate transmission of a threat in federal court on Monday, acknowledging that over 100 violent threats were sent to public figures and an election official over a number of years.
Between September 2019 and July 2020, 61-year-old Richard Glenn Kantwill sent threatening communications via text, email, Instagram, and Facebook to more than 40 victims. According to court documents, he threatened a television celebrity on Instagram, a religious leader via SMS, and an author via email. He sent at least seven more threats between April 2022 and April 2024, including one to an election official in another state on February 9, 2024.
As part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which was created to combat the growing threat of violence against election workers, the FBI is investigating the matter. Kantwill’s guilty plea, according to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, “underlines the Department’s efforts to hold those who endanger public servants accountable.” According to Garland, the Justice Department will not tolerate violent threats that jeopardize public safety or our democracy.
Each of the four charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison for Kantwill. A federal district court judge will decide the final sentence after a scheduled sentencing session.
The FBI spearheaded a multi-agency response to the threats, which also involved the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Florida and the District of Colorado, as well as the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. This instance, according to officials, emphasizes continuous efforts to stop violence and intimidation directed against election workers and other public figures.
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