A Kenai man has been convicted of threatening to kill an Alaska Superior Court Judge, according a release sent Thursday from U.S. Attorney Brian D. Schroder’s office.
During a 2010 hearing, Steven Bachmeier threatened to “carve the flesh” from the judge’s children, after the judge refused Bachmeier’s request to withdraw a guilty plea in a felony criminal case.
The judge was later assigned to a 2017 case involving Bachmeier. In response, he mailed in a pleading in the case in which he wrote, “I have told her in the past I’m going to kill her family, which I still [entend] (sic) to do,” according to the release.
An Anchorage federal jury found Bachmeier guilty of one count of mailing a threatening communication after a three-day trial. Bachmeier faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2.
“All Alaskans, including public servants, deserve to be safe in their lives and at work, without fear from death threats,” said Schroder in Thursday’s press release. “This case illustrates that it is unacceptable to threaten public servants and their families. We will prosecute those who seek to manipulate others, and the justice system, by making threats.”
•By BRIAN MAZUREK, Peninsula Clarion
