Alabama man who threatened to kill Arizona election workers pleads guilty, federal prosecutors say

Editor’s Note: (10/22/24): Since this article was published, Brian Ogstad was sentenced on October 21, 2024, to two and a half years in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice.

An Alabama man indicted for allegedly threatening election workers in Arizona has pleaded guilty to one count of sending interstate threats, federal prosecutors said.

Brian Ogstad, of Cullman, Alabama, was indicted by a federal grand jury in February after election officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, reported receiving numerous threats from him via social media.

Following Arizona’s 2022 state primaries – which were marked by the proliferation of numerous conspiracy theories regarding the integrity of the election process – Ogstad sent direct messages to Maricopa County officials, including: ” You did it! Now you’re screwed. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes” and “You are truly stupid if you think your life is safe,” according to the plea agreement and a statement Thursday from the U.S. Department of Justice.

“In a heightened political climate, people often make remarks online that they wish they could take back,” Todd Spodek, Ogstad’s attorney, told CNN after the plea deal. “Unfortunately, Mr. Ogstad let his emotions get the best of him and sent a number of messages that he regrets.”

Ogstad is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21, according to court records. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for one count of transmitting threats.

Ogstad appeared in a 2021 CNN special report on the group Q-Anon – a virtual sect of followers who peddle baseless conspiracy theories.

Ogstad told CNN’s Anderson Cooper at the time that he did not consider himself a “follower” of Q-Anon, but that he used their slogans and hashtags online. He also seemed to believe most of their major conspiracy theories, including calls for the public execution of prominent Democratic officials and a former Republican president.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has repeatedly warned of the increased risk of political violence in recent months, including threats against election workers, whom he called “the lifeblood of our elections “.

“Violent threats against election workers are threats to our democracy and our democratic process,” Wray said Thursday in a statement following Ogstad’s plea deal. “We cannot allow threats of violence against public officials to become normalized. The FBI takes all threats of violence against public officials seriously and will continue to pursue threats and acts of violence against election workers.

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