A suburban Chicago man has been charged in federal court with mailing threatening letters to two federal judges in Texas and Florida, according to a March 12 announcement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
The case involves James Lebuhn, 65, of Libertyville, Illinois, who faces two counts of mailing a threatening communication. The arraignment is scheduled for March 26 before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis.
According to the criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Lebuhn allegedly sent letters in March of last year to U.S. District Court judges located in Amarillo, Texas, and Fort Pierce, Florida. The filing states that Lebuhn mailed the letters with the intent that they would be perceived as true threats and was aware that others would likely view them as such.
The charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Protective Service, with assistance from prosecutors in Texas and Florida.
“The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to holding accountable anyone who seeks to intimidate and instill fear in members of the federal government, including the esteemed public servants on the bench,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “When a threat such as this occurs, our Office will find, arrest, and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. We are grateful for the close collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Northern District of Texas and Southern District of Florida and the fine work they provided in support of this prosecution.”
Ryan Raybould, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas said: “In today’s times of increasing threats of violence, these criminal charges should serve as a warning to others contemplating such behavior. I applaud the investigative efforts of our agents in this District and the prosecution team in the Northern District of Illinois for their outstanding work.”
Authorities remind that an information is not evidence of guilt; Lebuhn is presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial where prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years if convicted.
