A Wayne County, Missouri man pleaded guilty on April 15 to making threats against Social Security Administration employees in two separate incidents in 2025.
Timothy Wells Stevens, age 57, admitted in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to two counts of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. According to his plea agreement, Stevens first called an SSA employee in Pennsylvania on Oct. 1, 2025 and was told there was no record showing he was due payments. He then said, “I’m commin’ gunning’ for you all.” When the employee responded that the SSA takes all threats seriously, Stevens replied: “No, I am going gunnin’ trust me, and I’m going to blow up every (expletive) office around here.”
About half an hour later that same day, Stevens called another SSA office and spoke with an employee in California. During this call he said: “Cause I’m telling you now, if I have to sell my place I’ve owned for 17 years and go live under a bridge, I’m hunting every last one of you (expletives) down and I’m gonna blow you up,” according to court documents.
On Oct. 9 investigators interviewed Stevens who confirmed it was his voice on the recorded call with the California employee. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 28; each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment or a $250,000 fine or both.
The case was investigated by the Federal Protective Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations division while Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting it.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri investigates and prosecutes federal crimes such as terrorism and fraud while enforcing civil rights; it also collaborates with law enforcement agencies to prevent crime and improve community quality of life across its service area of 49 counties according to its official website. The office operates from both the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis and Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau as noted online.
Broader implications include continued efforts by federal authorities to address threats made against government workers while ensuring safety at public institutions.
