RIDGELAND, Miss. (WJTV) – A Ridgeland man was sentenced to two years in prison for making threats in interstate commerce against the director the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Robert Wiser Bates, 39, placed phone calls to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, and left voicemails for CDC Director Rochelle Walensky that were threatening in nature. The incident happened in July 2021.

Prosecutors said Bates made similar threats towards Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health. They said the root of his anger was due to the COVID-19 vaccination program.

Robert was indicted by a federal grand jury and he pled guilty on December 19, 2022. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.