Montgomery, Ala. – A Brewton man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for sending a death threat to a south Alabama district attorney. Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama announced the sentencing of 54-year-old William Terry Holmes, who pleaded guilty to mailing a threatening communication. The five-year prison term, the maximum permitted under federal law, will run consecutively to his ongoing state prison term with the Alabama Department of Corrections on unrelated charges. No parole is available in the federal system, and Holmes has been ordered to pay $26,185.70 in restitution.
The court documents and Holmes’s plea agreement reveal that the threat was issued following the conviction of a man Holmes claimed to know, who was sentenced for the capital murder of a police officer. While serving a state prison sentence, Holmes sent a letter to the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office on March 19, 2024. In the letter, Holmes identified himself as a member of a known white supremacist group and warned of severe consequences for the district attorney and his family in retaliation for the conviction.
On March 22, 2024, Holmes was interviewed by agents and admitted to writing the letter, stating that he had associates monitoring the district attorney. Security measures were promptly implemented to safeguard the district attorney and family. Holmes entered a guilty plea on January 28, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson remarked, “No one who serves the cause of justice, or the families of those who serve, should ever be threatened for doing their job.” He emphasized that threats toward legal officials are unacceptable, stating, “Threats against them are attacks on the rule of law itself and cannot be tolerated.”
Timothy J. O’Malley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, stated, “There is no place in our justice system for threats of violence – especially leveled at officers of the court." He affirmed the FBI's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for those serving justice.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mobile Field Office, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb from the Middle District of Alabama.