ST. LOUIS — Richard L. Russell, already serving a federal sentence, pled guilty to new charges. He admits to threatening to murder a federal judge, a former federal probation officer, and blow up the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis.
On June 1, 2022, officials at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse received handwritten letters containing death threats, signed by Russell, and addressed to a sitting federal judge and a retired probation officer. Russell had sent these letters to retaliate against individuals involved in his prior court cases. He was already serving a 9-year sentence.
Russell pled guilty to two counts of retaliating against a federal official, two counts of mailing threatening communications, and one count of threatening to destroy a building by fire or explosion. These charges carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per count.
