‘Watch your back’: an Idaho FBI informant is on probation after threatening agent
.jpg "An Idaho man will serve three years of supervised probation after threatening to harm a federal agent while working as an informant for the FBI, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.")
An Idaho man will serve three years of supervised probation after threatening to harm a federal agent while working as an informant for the FBI, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
Jerald Reutzel, of Middleton, worked as a confidential source for the agency in 2017 and 2018, according to court documents. After he was discharged from the role, Reutzel, 48, sent a series of “offensive and provocative” texts and emails to his former FBI contact after becoming upset with the agency.
According to a plea agreement, Reutzel believed he was entitled to having his gun rights restored. It wasn’t immediately clear when or why Reutzel lost the right to own firearms.
Officials said the series of aggressive communications came to a head on Nov. 14, 2020, when Reutzel texted the FBI agent and accused the agent of failing to act on tips Reutzel had given about minors being sexually assaulted. In the message, officials said Reutzel repeatedly used a homophobic slur to refer to the agent.
“I’m getting closer watch your back,” Reutzel wrote, according to the documents. “See ya Monday.”
The U.S. attorney’s office said Reutzel admitted to law enforcement that he sent the text and told authorities he knew it was threatening but didn’t intend to carry out the threat.
“At the U.S. attorney’s office, one of our most solemn obligations is to support our law enforcement partners. Law enforcement agents protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to their safety, often at great personal sacrifice and risk,” U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said in the news release. “Our office will not tolerate threats of violence against these public servants at any level.”
Reutzel pleaded guilty to one count of influencing a federal official by threat.
In addition to the supervised probation term, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ordered Reutzel to pay a $500 fine and a $100 special assessment. Nye gave Reutzel credit for serving 136 days in custody.
