A Massachusetts man was sentenced Tuesday to three years and six months in prison for sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, officials stated.
According to court documents, on or about Feb. 14, 2021, James W. Clark, 40, of Falmouth, sent a message via the Arizona Secretary of State’s website through “Contact Elections,” addressing the election official by her first name and warning her that she needed to “resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.”
Shortly after transmitting the message, Clark conducted online searches that included the full name of the election official in conjunction with the words “how to kill” and “address.”
Additionally, on or about Feb. 18, 2021, Clark conducted online searches involving the Boston Marathon bombing.
“James W. Clark sent a bomb threat to an Arizona election official. As a result, law enforcement searched the office building where the official worked, as well as the official’s home and car, for an explosive device,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Public servants who ensure our free and fair elections must be able to do their jobs without fear. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target election officials with threats of violence.”
In response to Clark’s message, law enforcement conducted partial evacuations and bomb sweeps of the building where the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office was located, including an evacuation of the Office of the Arizona Governor’s floor in the same building.
Law enforcement also conducted bomb sweeps of the election official’s personal residence and of the election official’s car.
Clark pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of making a threatening interstate communication.
(NEWS REPORT 2023)
The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator.
Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov.