Tucson man sentenced in courthouse officer threat
Web Producer: Brian Pryor
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A Tucson man has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for threatening to kill a federal pretrial services officer.
Prosecutors said Wednesday that 48-year-old James David Essner was sentenced to a 57-month term in U.S. District Court in Tucson.
Following his release from prison, Essner will be on supervised release for three years.
Authorities say Essner was arrested last August for allegedly transporting illegal immigrants. He pleaded guilty in October and was admitted to a Tucson hospital for a heart condition.
Essner allegedly telephoned his pretrial services officer and threatened to kill him the next time he saw him because of the periodic drug-testing for his court-ordered release.
Authorities say Essner was arrested after his discharge from the hospital, indicted in February and convicted on March 28.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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