Portland, Maine – Eric Malmstrom, 40, of Vinalhaven, Maine, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for transmitting threatening interstate communications.
Malmstrom was convicted on August 27, 2018, after a one-day jury trial. The evidence at trial revealed that on three occasions in February and March of last year, Malmstrom placed telephone calls to an employee of the Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C., threatening to slit the employee’s throat. Between September 2017 and March 2018, Malmstrom placed hundreds of calls to the embassy and to the employee.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Hornby described Malmstrom’s offenses as “a despicable set of crimes,” in which Malmstrom threatened people “with vile mutilation and death.” “This case demonstrates that threats against public officials will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “Targeting a government official because of his or her official status threatens not only the particular individual victim but also the system of government as a whole.” “Today’s sentencing of Eric Malmstrom sends a strong message: Diplomatic Security is committed to making sure those who threaten diplomatic personnel in the United States face consequences,” said Bart Brown, director of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service’s (DSS’) Office of Protective Intelligence Investigations (PII). “DSS’s strong relationship with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Secret Service and the Knox County Sheriff’s Department is essential in the pursuit of justice.”
