Tenn. man gets 4 months in prison for threatening John Boccieri

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A Tennessee man has received four months in prison for threatening an Ohio congressman during last year’s heated health-care debate.

U.S. District Judge David Dowd sentenced 40-year-old James Schmidlin of Cleveland, Tenn., today. Schmidlin also faces three years of probation.

He was convicted in December of making a March 2010 phone call to the office of then-U.S. Rep. John Boccieri, formerly of New Middletown, threatening to burn down the northeast Ohio Democrat’s house.

Prosecutors recommended 14 months in prison, the maximum under sentencing guidelines.

Schmidlin’s public defender asked for probation, saying he’s “contrite” and will never call another elected official again.

Boccieri lost his re-election bid in November to Republican Jim Renacci.