Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Cedar Sky Montgomery, a resident of Calaveras County, has entered a guilty plea to three counts of interstate communication of threats. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith made the announcement.
Court documents reveal that Montgomery used both his cellphone and the internet to threaten multiple victims. In one instance, he threatened to kill a victim and claimed they would "watch members of your family hanging from trees while your family's houses burn to ground." On another occasion, Montgomery sent threatening messages stating he would "kill as many members of your family as I can find!" He also threatened a second victim by saying he would cut off their fingers and hands.
In dealings with a third victim, Montgomery left voicemails threatening that "the bomb maker is going to kill everybody in your [expletive] family," along with threats to burn property and inflict harm on the victim's family.
From late November 2023 through early January 2024, Montgomery harassed a fourth victim with numerous calls and text messages. These included obscene cartoons and photos, along with threats against the victim's romantic partner. Similar harassment occurred with another individual who received angry voicemails and disturbing images depicting violence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Ripon Resident Agency led this investigation with assistance from several field offices and the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Christina McCall are handling prosecution duties.
Montgomery will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on June 9, 2025. The maximum statutory sentence for each count is five years in prison plus a fine up to $250,000; however, both parties recommend a total sentence of 30 months in prison. The final sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing applicable guidelines.
