Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Jeffrey Aaron Betrand, of South Carolina, was sentenced late last week to 33 months imprisonment in federal court. In August of 2016, Betrand pled guilty to the sole count in the indictment, Mailing Threatening Communications, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 876. After Betrand completes the term of imprisonment, he will be on federal supervised release for 3 years.
The investigation of the case revealed that Mr. Betrand was incarcerated in a South Carolina state prison for a charge involving a woman who was also one of the victims in this case. He sent several letters to this victim via the U.S. Mail including one in which he threatened a male friend of the victim. After law enforcement was made aware of the letters, investigators with the SC Department of Corrections searched Betrand’s cell and found a drawing depicting a map of the victim’s apartment and a plan to kill a male friend of the victim. The plan included a laundry list of items needed to carry out the violent act.
The case was investigated by the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Camden Police Department and the US Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney John C. Potterfield of the Columbia United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
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