A Chattanooga man has been handed a 24-month prison term for issuing threats to kill a member of Congress. Garry Lebron Hayes, aged 45, received this sentence on Wednesday, as decided by the U.S. District Judge, Curtis L. Collier, of the Eastern District of Tennessee.
In a plea agreement, Hayes admitted guilt to a charge stating he'd knowingly and willfully transmitted a threat to injure someone through interstate commerce, a breach of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c). The prosecuted voicemail left at a Congress member’s district office was laced with violent obscenities and explicit death threats. An additional voicemail was played at the sentencing hearing, dating back to January of 2024, where Hayes directed further life-threatening language at another congressional representative, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the announcement made by U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph Carrico of the FBI, the court's recommended sentencing guidelines fell between 18 to 24 months. The prosecution pushed for the maximum 24 months, underlining the need to protect the community from individuals like Hayes.
Judge Collier, in his ruling, underscored the imperative to shield society from those who aim to harm and intimidate elected officials over disagreements. The crude voicemails included the likes of, “Chattanooga. I’m in Chattanooga. Yeah, you better ask your kids to f***ing finally kiss your a**—‘cause I’m gonna beat your a** b**ch. I’m gonna kill your a**. I’m gonna kill you b**ch,” and "I will slice your throat, mother f***er." Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Lewen, Jr., represented the United States throughout the legal proceedings, as noted by the same press release.
Once Hayes has completed his incarceration, he will remain under supervised release for a duration of one year, to ensure compliance with the law and to prevent any recurrence of such threats and behavior.
