St. Thomas Man Facing Jail Time For Sending Threatening Emails To U.S. Judge, Federal Officer

ST. THOMAS — Thomas Troy Bitter, 36, made his initial appearance in District Court today before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after his arrest here for using his e-mail account to send threatening communications, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.

Magistrate Miller remanded Mr. Bitter to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending detention and preliminary hearings scheduled for June 22, 2016.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the District Court, Mr. Bitter used his e-mail account to send threatening communications to various law enforcement personnel including a federal law enforcement officer in St. Thomas and a federal judge in California. If convicted, Mr. Bitter faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.

United States Attorney Sharpe reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty