Man who threatened to kill election workers in Michigan is sentenced to prison

DETROIT – An Indiana man will serve 14 months in prison for sending a death threat to a Michigan poll worker in November 2020.

Andrew Nickels, 38, of Carmel, was sentenced in federal district court on July 9. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nickels called a Michigan municipality officer on November 10, 2020, and left a voicemail threatening to kill the officer.

“The Department of Justice does not tolerate threats of violence against poll workers, officials and volunteers, and as this case demonstrates, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute such threats to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. “We will continue to defend the right to vote and the safety of the public servants who make voting possible.”

Related: Local election officials fear threats to their safety as November approaches

Nickels pleaded guilty on February 27 to one count of interstate threatening conduct.

Court documents show Nickels left the officer a voicemail message saying, “You cheated America out of a real election” and “you will pay for it.” He also described how “more than ten million patriots will surround you when you least expect it.”

Nickels then continued: “(W)e will (expletive) kill you…(Y)ou will (expletive) pay for your (expletive) lying statements…We will (expletive) take you out. (expletive) your family, (expletive) your life, and you deserve a (expletive) throat through the knife…Watch out (expletive)…Watch out (expletive).”

U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan said the ruling should send a message that anyone who “attempts to jeopardize the fair and free administration of our elections” will be held accountable.

“Threats like Nickels’ undermine our democracy by making poll workers fear for their lives and the safety of their families – just for doing their jobs,” Ison said.

Related: Threatening a poll worker in Michigan could soon be a criminal offense

The case against Nickels is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, launched in June 2021. The task force was created to counter threats of violence and ensure that all poll workers can do their jobs without intimidation, according to the Justice Department.

The FBI’s Detroit field office investigated the case.