Man gets two years for sending ‘anthrax’ to former governor

Sentence runs concurrent with Fayette County case

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – A 47-year-old Paris man is sentenced to two years in federal prison for threatening former Gov. Matt Bevin.

John Thomas Jurgensen pleaded guilty last November to sending a letter to Bevin at hios Frankfort office containing a substance with a note that said ‘ANTHRAX.’ The letter was sent on October 1, 2019, just over a month after Bevin would lose his re-election bid to Andy Beshear. The substance turned out to be soap shavings, according to federal court documents.

He also was indicted for using the mail service to carry out a threat, but that charge was dropped. He faced up to five years in prison. His sentence will run at the same time as one he faces in Fayette County. Once released, he must meet a variety of conditions, including mental evaluations.