Man Sentenced to Execution Threats Amid Arizona’s 2022 Election Chaos

PHOENIX — A 60-year-old Alabama man, Brian J. Ogstad, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for sending threatening messages to the Maricopa County Elections Department during the 2022 election cycle. This sentencing took place on Monday.

Ogstad pleaded guilty to making threatening communications. Alongside his prison time, he faces a 36-month supervised release and a $1,000 fine imposed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Arizona.

During the primary election in August 2022, Ogstad utilized an Instagram account associated with the county’s elections department to send multiple menacing messages. The contents of these messages revealed a stark hostility, including statements such as:

“You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes.”

Another included, “You are lying, cheating [expletive] . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe.”

Ogstad’s communications also included threats of violence, declaring, “You will all be executed. Bang [expletive]!”

Threats against election officials in Maricopa County have heightened since the 2020 presidential election, which saw a narrow victory for Joe Biden over Donald Trump. Other individuals have faced legal consequences for similar threats in recent years.

This case serves as a reminder of the escalating tensions surrounding election processes in the United States, particularly in Arizona.