Former Jones County election worker indicted after sending bomb threat to poll site
A former poll worker who allegedly sent a bomb threat to a Jones County polling location has been indicted, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Georgia said.
The indictment charged Nicholas Wimbish, 25, of Milledgeville with mailing a bomb threat, conveying false information about a bomb threat, mailing a threatening letter and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was arrested the day before Election Day, prosecutors said.
Wimbish faces 10 years in prison for mailing a bomb threat and five years in prison on each of the following counts: mailing a threatening letter, conveying false information and making false statements, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The indictment alleged that Wimbish was working as a poll worker at the Jones County Elections Office on Oct. 16 when he argued with a voter. Later that evening, he allegedly researched what information was publicly available online. The following day, he mailed a letter to the elections superintendent as a “Jones County Voter,” officials said.
It was written as if it came from the voter Wimbish had argued with, stating that Wimbish had “give[n] me hell,” was “conspiring votes” and “distracting voters from concentrating,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said. The allegation states that the letter threatened Wimbish and others to look over their shoulders, claiming that the writer knew “where they all live because I found home voting addresses for all of them.”
“Young men will get beatdown if they fight me,” the letter said, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. “(They) will get the treason punishment by firing squad if they fight back.”
That letter also threatened to “rage rape” women and to “watch every move they make and look over their shoulder,” prosecutors said.
“PS boom toy in early vote place, cigar burning, be safe,” a handwritten note in the letter said, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The indictment also alleged that Wimbish lied to the FBI by saying that the voter sent the letter and that he didn’t research himself, although the letter was later found on Wimbish’s computer.
Prosecutors said that people can contact the local FBI office to speak with the elections crimes coordinator to report any suspected threats or violent acts relating to the elections. They can also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or file an online complaint.
