Former O'Fallon Man Indicted for Maliciously Conveying False Threats to City of O'Fallon's City Hall and Police Department

A former O'Fallon resident is charged with conveying false threats to the O'Fallon Police Department and O'Fallon City Hall in November of 2006, the United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton announced today. Justin Lamar Kidd, age 28, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 25, 2011. The grand jury returned an indictment charging Kidd with mailing a letter on or around November 9, 2006, to the O'Fallon Police Department, which stated: "Get all the blacks from Chevy Chase Apartments from out of O'Fallon before we burn the [w]hole complex down. KKK warning," and, then, with mailing another letter on or about November 18, 2006, to the O'Fallon City Hall, which stated: "Get all the blacks out of O'Fallon before we start burning he[ir] houses down." Kidd, an African-American, sent these threats knowing them to be false.

An indictment is a charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment charge the offense of conveying false threats in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e), which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, $250,000 fine, or both, and up to three years' supervised release. Kidd's initial appearance before the district court was held in East St Louis on April 7, 2011.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the O'Fallon Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Liam Coonan.