Libertyville Man Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Mailing Threatening Letters to Trump-Appointed Judges

CHICAGO — A Libertyville man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison after admitting to mailing threatening letters containing photographs of ammunition to two U.S. district judges appointed by President Donald Trump, federal authorities announced. 

James Lebuhn, 66, of Libertyville, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago after pleading guilty to two counts of mailing threatening communications. In addition to his prison sentence, Lebuhn was ordered to serve two years of supervised release following his incarceration. 

According to federal court documents, Lebuhn mailed the letters in March 2025 to federal courthouses in Amarillo, Texas, and Fort Pierce, Florida. Prosecutors said he intended the letters to be viewed as “true threats” and acted with reckless disregard that recipients and others would perceive them as threatening. 

The letters read:

“THE CITIZENS DO NOT LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO OUR DEMOCRACY. THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE.”

The message was followed by photographs of two rounds of ammunition and the warning:

“BE CAREFUL. THE LEVEL OF ANGER IS RISING.” 

Although the indictment did not identify the judges by name, court records indicate the letters were sent to the only sitting federal district judges assigned to those courthouses at the time: Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk in Amarillo and Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Fort Pierce. Both were appointed to the federal bench by President Donald Trump during his first term in office. 

Federal prosecutors also said Lebuhn mailed similarly threatening letters to employees of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C. 

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis emphasized the seriousness of threats directed at members of the judiciary and the broader implications such conduct has on the justice system.

“If we allow folks to just do what they want and threaten people in order to get the outcome that they want, that will ruin democracy faster really than anything we can do,” Ellis said before imposing the sentence. 

The case comes amid heightened concern over threats against judges and other public officials nationwide. In recent weeks, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett testified publicly about the security challenges facing members of the federal judiciary, including having to explain to her young son why she returned home wearing a bulletproof vest. 

Lebuhn was originally charged in March 2026 after a federal investigation determined he had mailed the threatening communications the previous year. His sentencing concludes the criminal case, though federal officials continue to stress that threats against judges and court personnel will be aggressively prosecuted.