A woman from Cottage Grove drew a federal prison sentence after using Facebook to send threatening messages to her colleagues. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon reports that Elizabeth Ballestros West, 56, received a six-month and three-week term, followed by a three-year supervised release. Court documents reveal that an anonymous tip to the FBI in late September 2023 first alerted federal agents to the threatening activity.
The investigation quickly expanded when authorities discovered that, in addition to the original threats, West had gone on to quickly set up an account on X, using this new platform to further disseminate her violent and hateful messages. Her social media posts were notably concerning for their target at specific ethnic groups and for what appeared to be photos of her own arsenal of weapons, which included handguns, a shotgun, and an AR-style assault rifle. On January 3, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, West admitted to her activities on X and her possession of multiple firearms.
Further investigation by the FBI led to the execution of federal search warrants on January 9. Agents seized an extensive cache of arms from West's residence and vehicle, comprising 12 handguns, 16 rifles, and an array of ammunition and firearm accessories. Also found was a journal containing more expressions of West's virulent ideologies. Subsequently, West was apprehended by the FBI at her place of employment in Eugene and faced a criminal complaint for transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
The case, which culminated in West's guilty plea on May 29, followed her indictment by a federal grand jury about five months earlier. The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI, with support from the Cottage Grove Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and Lane County Sheriff's Office, as detailed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam E. Delph.
