WACO – A Dripping Springs man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for making threats to kill people at Fort Hood earlier this year.
Thomas Anthony Chesnut, 29, of Dripping Springs, was sentenced Dec. 8, roughly two months after a federal jury convicted him on one count of threatening to assault or murder a uniformed service member, as well as one count of interstate communications to threaten or injure, according to a U.S. Western District Court press release.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Robert Pitman ordered that Chestnut be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term. Chestnut has remained in federal custody since being arrested by FBI agents Feb. 24, 2017.
On Sept. 19, 2017, jurors found Chestnut guilty on the count of threatening to assault or murder a uniformed service member.
Testimony during the two-day trial revealed that on Feb. 22, 2017, Chestnut made verbal threats when he called and spoke with a sergeant at the U.S. Army 1st Calvary Division at Fort Hood.
Chestnut threatened to go to Fort Hood, kill the sergeant, take hostages, start a mass killing spree and then kill himself if he was not allowed to speak with someone of rank, according to the release.
Chestnut then spoke with a major and advised that he was a former soldier wrongly accused of a crime and eventually released from prison in 2016. Chestnut further said if he was unable to speak with a U.S. Army III Corps Commander or a Sergeant Major regarding back pay, or did not receive the money he believed was owed to him, that he planned to shoot soldiers at Fort Hood.
The FBI, together with the U.S. Army Military Police Investigations at Fort Hood and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, conducted this investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Active Duty U.S. Army Major Benjamin Hogan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Blanton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
