United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the conviction of Keith Dougherty, 69, from College Park, Maryland. Dougherty was found guilty at trial for threatening to assault and murder United States judges with the intent to impede and retaliate against them while they were performing their official duties. He was also convicted on three counts of mailing threatening communications.
The charges were brought against Dougherty in July of last year. Court filings revealed that he had sent or filed motions containing threats directed at federal judges across multiple districts. Previously, in December 2021, he was prosecuted and convicted by a federal jury for similar offenses and served a 41-month prison sentence followed by supervised release.
Dougherty's supervised release was revoked after he continued making threats just months into it, leading to his return to prison. While incarcerated for this violation, he again mailed or filed threatening language, resulting in the charges brought in July 2024 and his subsequent conviction.
He is awaiting sentencing and could face up to 40 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf stated: "No judge should have to fear that one of their rulings might provoke a violent attack in response." He added that Dougherty "knows that threatening judges is a crime" and emphasized that today's verdict ensures accountability for his actions.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Joseph LaBar prosecuting the case.
