(WJET/WFXP)– The Pennsylvania man convicted of sending death threats to an Erie area poll worker, including threats to skin them alive, received his sentence in federal court Tuesday.
John Pollard, 63, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release, with prosecutors noting that Judge Cathy Bissoon denied the request from Pollard’s team for probation.
PA man accused of threatening to kill, skin Erie poll worker pleads guilty
Pollard pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of making interstate threats after a text exchange between the two quickly turned violent.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of PA said Pollard first started texting the victim on September 6, 2024, after they posted about looking for volunteers in the area as part of their role as a Regional Election Integrity Director.
The US Attorney’s Office said Pollard sent the following threats:
“I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”
“Your days are numbered, B****!”
“GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F*****G KKK**T!”
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“This prosecution, and the Court’s sentence of incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons, sends a clear and unmistakable message that threats against election workers and other public servants will be met with swift, certain, and just punishment,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Our office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting free and fair elections.”
As part of rejecting the defense’s request for probation, Bissoon stressed the reality of political violence and that death threats would not be tolerated, even with a lack of a criminal record.
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