Lang
10/13/23
Several charges have been dropped against an Iowa City man accused of threatening Johnson County government officials and KCJJ staff.
Online court records show two out of four no-contact orders filed against 32-year-old Samuel McElmeel of Rochester Avenue were dropped earlier this month. McElmeel was given credit for time served on the other two charges.
McElmeel is accused of sending three emails 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 emails. 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 say on August 21st McElmeel tried contacting one of the protected parties by using an online jail system called “Inmate Canteen”. He was given time served for that no-contact order violation as well.
Earlier this week, Judge Jason Burns set a December 5th trial date on remaining charges of 1st and 2nd Degree Harassment. If convicted on both charges, McElmeel faces a maximum of three years in jail.
McElmeel also faces an October 30th sentencing on unrelated domestic abuse charges.