A man already found guilty of and sentenced for multiple counts of felony threats for threatening staff members at the office of U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, in 2018 was resentenced to seven years, eight months in state prison Friday after a Court of Appeal said the conduct was a series of acts that could only result in one conviction for each statute, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
While four counts were dropped, Ronald Joseph Lafaye, 56, was sentenced to the same amount of time despite a defense request that it be reduced one year. The judge, according to the District Attorney’s Office, said Speier’s staff constantly think of the shooting of then U.S. representative Gabby Giffords in 2011 in relation to the case and the judge also referred to the events of Jan. 6 in the U.S. Capitol.
Having spoken with a staff member at Speier’s office on the phone in December of 2017, Lafaye is said to have left 12 voicemails with her office March 19, 2018. Including complaints about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and police officers, disparaging remarks about her staff members and threats to kill and harm staff members, the voicemails also contained claims Lafaye was assaulted in the past while a witness was watching, according to prosecutors.
Lafaye, who identified himself in some of the voicemails, is also to have said he had no problem with Speier and prayed for her when he was in school. With a previous record for making criminal threats, Lafaye was extradited from Oregon where he was found at a Days Inn to face charges, according to prosecutors.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.