Central Square Man Sentenced for Threatening to Kill His Family

United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian announced that WAYNE BOUYEA, 50, of Central Square, was sentenced today in federal court pursuant to his previous pleas of guilty to seven counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce and to possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

In November 2010, BOUYEA pled guilty in federal court to sending, via the Internet, e-mails threatening to kill his estranged wife, his stepdaughter, and his two minor children, all of whom had moved out of state, and to unlawfully possessing 10 firearms as a convicted felon. Today, Hon. David N. Hurd, United States District Court Judge, sentenced BOUYEA to serve 10 years in federal prison as a result of his conviction. Upon completion of his term of incarceration, BOUYEA will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years.

By his plea, BOUYEA admitted that in the e-mail correspondence, he had threatened to travel to the college campus his stepdaughter was attending, find his family, and kill all of them. BOUYEA’s wife reported the threats to campus police, and due to their quick response, both the New York State Police and the FBI became involved. BOUYEA was quickly apprehended. In addition to the firearms and ammunition seized from his residence at the time of his arrest, forensic analysis of his computer revealed that BOUYEA had used the Internet several times to research driving directions to the state and college campus where his stepdaughter attends school, and that he had also visited the university website, and obtained a total of 17 map images of the area and of the university itself.

BOUYEA’s arrest was the result of an investigation by the New York State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Utica Police Department, Digital Forensics Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Fletcher, who can be reached at 448-0672.