TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa man, Rigoberto Albizar Martinez, 57, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison followed by one year of home confinement for threatening to plant a bomb in the district office of a member of the United States House of Representatives. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven.
A federal jury found Martinez guilty on December 12, 2024, of threatening to destroy a building using an explosive.
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According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Martinez placed a call to the Tampa district office of the unnamed congressional member. He left a voicemail message that was described as vulgar, racist, and laden with obscenities, in which he explicitly threatened to plant a bomb in the representative’s office.
The United States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section led the investigation into the threat. The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
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Martinez faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the offense. Following his one-year prison term, he will be under supervised release which includes one year of home confinement.
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