A Roberts, Illinois, man, 41-year-old Paul Theesfield was sentenced (Monday) to 21 months in prison for mailing a threatening communication. The sentence will be served consecutively to the 12-year sentence he is currently serving for attempted kidnapping. Federal prosecutors said Theesfield pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long to mailing a threatening communication to a victim in Gibson City. The long and graphic letter threatened to harm the victim’s husband and sexually assault the victim. Theesfield mailed the letter from the Bureau of Prisons Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, where he is serving a federal sentence for attempted kidnapping.
The victim of the threatening letter was the same woman Theesfield had attempted to kidnap on December 5, 2020. On that day, Theesfield repeatedly drove past the intended victim in Gibson City using his SUV to strike the woman from behind, attempting to incapacitate her and kidnap her. The woman recognized Theesfield and screamed for help, causing him to flee the scene. Theesfield and his vehicle were later found at his residence by a Ford County Deputy. After initially telling authorities he accidentally struck the woman, Theesfield admitted his kidnapping plan and was arrested. The Ford County Sheriff later seized handcuffs, wire rope chokers, zip ties, duct tape, an electric cattle prod, and other items from Theesfield’s place of employment.
At the sentencing hearing, the government also noted Theesfield committed a similar uncharged attempted kidnapping on September 25, 2009, in Champaign, Illinois. On that date, he struck a woman with his vehicle and physically attacked her while attempting to tie her up with a strap. The victim screamed and kicked eventually freeing herself. Theesfield left the scene and was not identified until after his arrest for the 2020 incident.
Theesfield’s 2020 victim presented a written statement during the sentencing hearing that detailed the additional trauma from his threatening letter. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce rejected Theesfield’s request for a concurrent sentence of imprisonment and imposed the 21-month sentence consecutively, as requested by the government. In doing so, Judge Bruce agreed with the government’s arguments that a consecutive sentence was necessary to deter Theesfield and to protect the public from further crimes by Theesfield. The statutory penalty for mailing a threatening communication is up to five years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
The case investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.
94.1 WGFA
