Houston Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Polk County DHS

A Texas man faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to communicating an interstate threat.

Gregory Judge, 50, of Houston called the Polk County Department of Human Services on Oct. 10, 2012, to speak to a case worker after he lost parental rights to his child, based on a history of drug addiction and refusal to participate in a drug testing program and parenting classes, according to his plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

During the call, Judge began threatening the case worker, who started recording the call as he became more threatening, and Judge eventually threatened to blow up the DHS office and everyone in it before referencing school shootings and telling the worker he intended to die during the attack.

Judge told the worker he was going to “make sure I get every” person in there “before they kill me,” according to the plea agreement.

In exchange for pleading guilty to the interstate threat charge, federal prosecutors dropped a charge of making explosive material threats, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence.

When he is sentenced at a later date, Judge also faces a potential $250,000 fine.