Tecumseh man charged with threatening election official in Arizona

An Ozark County man was indicted Tuesday on federal charges for allegedly leaving a voicemail containing a threat on the personal cell phone of an election official in the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office in Maricopa County, Arizona.Fifty-year-old Walter Lee Hoornstra, of Tecumseh, is charged with one count of communicating an interstate threat and one count of making a threatening telephone call.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, from the indictment on or about May 19, 2021, Hoornstra allegedly left a voicemail message on the personal cell phone of the election official stating “So I see you’re for fair and competent elections, that’s what it says here on your homepage for your recorder position you’re trying to fly here. But you call things unhinged and insane lies when there’s a forensic audit going on. You need to check yourself. You need to do your (expletive) job right because other people from other states are watching your (expletive). You (expletive) renege on this deal or give them any more troubles, your (expletive) will never make it to your next little board meeting.”If convicted, Hoornstra faces up to five years in prison for making a threatening interstate communication and up to two years in prison for making a threatening telephone call. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division says, “These unlawful threats of violence endanger election officials, undermine our electoral process, and threaten our democracy. The department’s Election Threats Task Force, working with our partners across the country, remains committed to investigating and prosecuting such illegal threats to ensure that these public servants are able to do their jobs free from intimidation.”

Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division says, “The FBI is committed to vigorously investigating and holding accountable anyone who threatens election workers. These public servants protect our fundamental right to vote by administering fair and free elections. Any attempts to interfere with our elections by intimidating election officials, their staffs, and volunteers with threats of violence will not be tolerated.”

FBI Phoenix is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.

Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

WebReady^TM Powered by WireReady^® NSI