NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA

John L. Brownlee
United States Attorney
Heidi Coy
Public Affairs Specialist BB&T Building
310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906
Roanoke, Virginia 24011
(540) 857-2250
FAX (540) 857-2180

February 9, 2007

BRISTOL, VIRGINIA MAN SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON FOR MAILING THREATENING LETTERS

United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that RANDALL WAYNE FINLEY, age 28, of Bristol, Virginia, was sentenced to eight years in prison for mailing threatening communications. FINLEY was sentenced on February 8, 2007, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia by United States District Court Judge James P. Jones. FINLEY had previously pleaded guilty on November 20, 2006 to one count of mailing threatening communications.

According to evidence presented at a previous hearing by Special Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Lee, FINLEY, who was an inmate at the Bristol, Virginia City Jail, mailed four threatening letters on August 18, 2006 to five women located in Bristol, Tennessee, Whitesburg, Kentucky, and McRoberts, Kentucky. In these letters FINLEY wrote that he wanted $100 sent to the jail from each victim and also wanted pictures of the victims in revealing clothing. He stated that if the victims failed to comply with his demands he would have them killed and have their families killed. He further instructed the victims that if they told law enforcement about the letters he would have them killed.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bristol Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bristol Virginia Sheriff’s Department, and the Bristol Tennessee Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee of the United States Attorney’s Office in Abingdon prosecuted the case.