A 21-year-old Florida state prison inmate received an additional 45 months in prison for mailing death threats to a victim, federal officials reported Monday.
Daniel Bookout was sentenced in federal court for sending threatening messages, according to John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
After serving his 45-month federal sentence, Bookout will be released under supervision for three years.
According to court documents, Bookout sent a letter to the Clerk of Court for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida on October 18, 2024. In the letter, Bookout indicated that he knew the victim’s home address and daily commuting route to work. He claimed to be a member of a gang, stated that he had associates monitoring the victim, requested his immediate release from state custody, and threatened to kill the victim.
“Protecting our communities from violence and threats of violence remains a top priority for my office, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute cases like this to keep our citizens safe from the predations of violent thugs,” Heekin stated.
Federal law enforcement officers underlined the need to protect judicial workers and victims involved in court cases.
“The US Marshals do not tolerate criminal threats against innocent victims,” Acting US Marshal Greg Leljedal declared. “Protecting our nation’s federal judicial system and its participants has been a top priority of this organization for over 200 years.”
Jason Carley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office, stated that detention does not exempt offenders from federal law.
“Being behind bars does not give anyone a license to threaten or intimidate victims,” Carley stated. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable and sends a clear message that victims have a right to come forward without the fear of retaliation.”
The case stemmed from a combined investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service. Eric Welch, an assistant United States attorney, prosecuted the case.
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