SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 27, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake County man faces his initial court date Tuesday after he was indicted for allegedly making repeated threatening phone calls to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and other Salt Lake County government offices.
According to court documents, Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, “called the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office on April 1, 2024. In a voicemail, he accused the Salt Lake County Recorder and an employee of being guilty of treason. As alleged, Bracken made a point of stating that the penalty for treason is death,” says a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.
“Prior to the voicemail, Bracken had also made repeated phone calls to the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office, which allegedly became increasingly verbally abusive and threatening.”
On April 2, 2024, the statement says Bracken called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office to speak with the elected sheriff regarding a “fraudulent Sheriff’s sale on his property and called it a criminal act. Bracken threatened to ‘open fire’ on the first person who shows up to his property to evict him. Bracken made specific reference to having a 7.62 millimeter firearm.”
In a separate call on the same day, Bracken made multiple threats that “if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for treasonous acts and she would swing from a rope,” the statement says.
“Information obtained from Information technology specialists with Salt Lake County government revealed that Bracken called various Salt Lake County government offices, to include the Sheriff’s Office and the Assessor’s Office, 32 times in April 2024 alone.”
Bracken is charged with five counts of stalking, and one count of interstate communication of threats. His initial court appearance is set for today, Tuesday, before a Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
