Tennessee man pleads guilty to threatening public officials
A Tennessee man has pleaded guilty to eight counts of threatening to kill local judges and public officials, according to reports citing the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.
Phillip Wayne Foster, 68, appeared Tuesday in Wilson County criminal court, in Middle Tennessee, where he admitted to sending letters that “included threats of bodily injury and/or death, bomb threats and threats of distribution or delivery of chemical agents” against multiple public servants and private citizens, according to Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.
An investigation into Foster was launched in October 2019, and then search warrants were issued on his property on Young Road in February 2020.
He was taken into custody after being indicted on one count of making a terroristic threat, three counts of false report and four counts of harassment.
Foster’s letters contained threats to cut off body parts and blow up buildings, according to Fox 17 in Nashville.
He sent one of them to the Wilson County Sheriff, the station reported.
“This was a lengthy investigation for our Criminal Investigations Division, led by Detective Mike Barbee, due to the numerous victims and jurisdictions that were involved. They conducted a very thorough investigation which allowed them to build a strong case against Foster in court.”
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ArLuther Lee covers national and international news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from The University of Florida and has been a journalist for more than 23 years. The married father of two first joined the AJC in 2003 as the Front Page designer. He enjoys running and playing chess.
