A California man has been sentenced to 11 months in prison for leaving threatening voicemails to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, as announced by the Justice Department. David Allen Carrier, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of making threats against a federal official in December after a grand jury indictment.
Carrier, a resident of Concord, left a threatening voicemail to assault Pelosi on January 21, 2021, just 15 days after the U.S. Capitol riot. Later, on June 30, 2022, he called the Department of Homeland Security hotline and threatened to assault Mayorkas. Carrier admitted that he intended to interfere with the official duties of Pelosi and Mayorkas.
U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey emphasized the importance of participating in public political conversations but stated that threatening public servants is not protected by the First Amendment and undermines peaceful discourse. Carrier was sentenced to prison and three years of supervised release, during which he must stay away from Pelosi and Mayorkas, attend mental health and substance abuse treatment, among other conditions.
The National Security and Cybercrime Section prosecuted the case following investigations by the FBI and the Secret Service. FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp highlighted that violent threats against elected officials threaten the democratic system and reiterated that individuals making politically motivated threats will be investigated and held accountable.
