Man sentenced for phone threats made against Gaetz

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A California man has been sentenced in connection with a threatening phone call he is alleged to have made to U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz.

Eugene Huelsman, 59, of Thousand Oaks, California, was sentenced to six months of home confinement on one count of transmission of a threat in interstate commerce, Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced last week.

“The free exercise of speech is central to our democracy,” said Coody.

“However, the communication of threats of physical violence, in this case by an individual who had previously made and been investigated for similar threats of violence, is clearly unlawful.”

At the hearing, Huelsman was sentenced for telephonic threats he reportedly made, on January 9, 2021, when he allegedly called Gaetz’s congressional district office in Pensacola, Florida. When no one answered the call, Huelsman reportedly left a profanity-laced voicemail threatening to kill Congressman Gaetz. This allegedly included threatening to “put a bullet in” Gaetz and members of his family.

Huelsman also reportedly threatened that he was “coming for” the Congressman and that he hoped the Congressman would “die in a shallow grave.”

The United States Capitol Police were contacted when the threat was made, which triggered security protocols related to the victim. The investigation revealed this was not the first time Huelsman made threats involving political figures. Huelsman had previously been investigated by the United States Secret Service for threatening a member of a former President’s family on social media, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

“Words matter,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, “and this sentencing should serve as a warning. Everyone has the right to express their opinion, but when you harass, intimidate, and threaten violence against others, it’s a federal crime that will not be tolerated. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will work to hold you accountable.”

Huelsman’s home confinement will be followed by five years’ probation and a $10,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.