U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody | U.S. Department of Justice
Wayne Andrew Miller, a 41-year-old inmate from Lucasville, Ohio, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. The sentence follows his guilty plea to charges of threatening a judge and his family, assaulting a federal employee, and possessing a weapon while in custody. This was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
"We must protect our dedicated government employees so that they may carry out their jobs without fear," stated U.S. Attorney Coody. "This sentence sends a strong message that we will take all measures to protect those who enforce the law is crucial to maintaining our democracy and keeping our communities safe."
Miller was previously serving a 20-year sentence in Ohio for kidnapping a university student shortly after completing a nine-year term for rape and kidnapping. In November 2022, he sent a letter threatening an Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge in Gainesville, Florida, as well as the judge's family. This led to an indictment for transmitting threats through interstate commerce using U.S. Mail.
"This investigation exemplifies the FBI's commitment to protecting public servants and their families," said Kristin Rehler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.
While awaiting court proceedings at the Federal Detention Center in Tallahassee on February 18, 2024, Miller assaulted a Bureau of Prisons nurse with a plastic shank during her medical assessment of him. He intended to take her hostage but was subsequently indicted for assaulting a federal employee with intent to cause bodily harm and possession of an object intended as a weapon.
Miller pleaded guilty to all charges and received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor on December 3, 2024. His new term will run consecutively with his previous Ohio sentence and be followed by three years of supervised release.
The case involved investigations by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Grogan.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices serving under the direction of the Attorney General.
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