Former Georgia poll worker pleads guilty to bomb threat hoax in Jones County
Nicholas Wimbish admitted to mailing a threatening letter and lying to the FBI; sentencing set for May 13.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Nicholas Wimbish, a former poll worker in Jones County, has pleaded guilty to mailing a letter threatening to bomb a Jones County precinct and harm poll workers. He also admitted to lying to the FBI during the investigation.
Wimbish, 25, of Milledgeville, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell today. He pleaded guilty to conveying false information about a bomb threat and making hoaxes. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for May 13. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Bomb hoaxes and similar threats create grave and unnecessary disruptions in our communities, pulling vital law enforcement resources and terrifying people,” Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker said. “Our office and law enforcement partners take these types of threats seriously and will pursue federal prosecution when warranted.”
“The FBI takes all threat-to-life matters very seriously,” Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Robert Gibbs of the FBI Atlanta’s Macon office said. “This arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who tries to intimidate a public official or interfere with the elections process.”
Details of the Case
According to court documents and statements, Wimbish was working as a poll worker at the Jones County Elections Office in Gray, Georgia, on October 16, 2024, when he argued with a voter. That evening and into the early hours of October 17, he conducted online research and then drafted a letter posing as the voter, threatening to bomb the Jones County polling place. He mailed the letter on October 17, 2024, under the name “Jones County Voter,” and it arrived at the Jones County election office on October 22, 2024.
Wimbish admitted that he intended for the letter to appear as though it came from the voter, adding details to make it seem like the voter was targeting him and other poll workers. The letter included threats of violence, including references to watching their every move and a handwritten postscript stating, “PS boom toy in early vote place, cigar burning, be safe.” Wimbish admitted knowing that “boom toy” referred to an explosive device.
Additionally, Wimbish lied to FBI agents investigating the case, falsely stating that he believed the voter had sent the letter and denying that he had conducted online research on himself. The letter was later found on Wimbish’s computer.
