Trucking company owner sentenced to prison for threats

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - An Elkhorn man who left threatening messages for federal Department of Transportation workers has been sentenced to nine months in federal prison.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports (https://bit.ly/1Muulf4 ) that Ronald Mockelman pleaded guilty in July to leaving four messages on Jan. 10. Prosecutors say Mockelman threatened he was buying a gun and that “every last one of you is dead.” Mockelman was angry about a $3,680 penalty levied against his trucking company because it doesn’t have a drug testing program. Mockelman is the only employee.

He called back days later to apologize, and his attorney says he’s taken an anger management class.

But prosecutors say that’s not enough, noting Mockelman was jailed for similar conduct in 2011.

At his sentencing Tuesday, Mockelman also got a year of supervised release.

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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, https://www.journalstar.com