Washington — A New Hampshire resident pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce after he left a voicemail message at the Washington, D.C., office of a member of Congress in March, according to court documents. That lawmaker was Rep. Matt Gaetz, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Allan Poller admitted Thursday that he was the individual who said over the phone, “if you keep on coming for the gays, we’re gonna strike back…We will kill you if that’s what it takes.”
The 24-year-old was charged in March and court documents did not name the member of Congress targeted.
Prosecutors alleged Poller said on the message to Gaetz, “I will take a bullet to your f****** head if you f*** with my rights anymore. And then if you want to keep going down that path, you know who’s next.”
According to a criminal complaint filed earlier this year, a U.S. Capitol Police Officer determined Poller was a student at Keene State College and law enforcement officials there contacted him. Poller then admitted he had left the message and told investigators he did not actually plan to do harm to Gaetz and did not own a firearm. He said he was “emotional and intoxicated when he left the voicemail,” the court documents revealed.
Poller was indicted on two counts, but as part of the plea agreement, prosecutors indicated they would drop one of the counts in exchange for his admission of guilt. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and the government said in the plea agreement a sentence of three years probation would be appropriate in the case.
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