Lang
8/23/23
An Iowa City man accused of threatening government employees and KCJJ staff members now faces another no-contact order violation after allegedly trying to send an email to one of the protected parties.
32-year-old Samuel McElmeel of Rochester Avenue is accused of sending three e-mails on August 1st that were harassing and threatening in nature. The emails were sent to multiple recipients, including threats sent to government officials and the official KCJJ email account. He had previously been charged with sending threatening emails to a Johnson County prosecutor in June.
McElmeel included his own Social Security number in one of the e-mails. Among the direct threats were statements that he would, quote, “personally destroy and torture everything related to you,” and that he would, quote, “cut your flesh.” One email stated McElmeel would cut off an Iowa City Police officer’s genitals and feed them to him.
Police now say just after 5:30 Monday night McElmeel tried contacting one of the protected parties by using a system called “Inmate Canteen”. It involves putting the intended recipient’s email into the system, with the sender putting their email into it as well. Investigators say that’s how they knew who was trying to send the email and who was the intended target.
McElmeel now faces a new no-contact order violation. He’s also facing previous violations, as well as a 1st Degree Harassment charge and two 2nd Degree Harassment charges. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of four years in jail.