U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that 34-year-old Nathon James Zink was sentenced to 112 months in federal prison for mailing threatening
communications to state and federal judges.

In August and September 2020, Zink was an inmate at a Michigan Department of Corrections facility when he sent threatening letters through the U.S. Postal Service to state and federal court judges. The letters included threats to extort, kidnap, sexually assault, and kill judges and their family members.

One letter, which was sent to the U.S. District Court in Kalamazoo, stated it contained the biological agent anthrax. Authorities investigated and determined the letter was safe and did not contain any anthrax.

On March 8, Zink pled guilty to one count of mailing a threatening communication and one count of mailing a threatening communication to a federal employee.