MADISON, WI — Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Justin Ward, 32, Ironwood, Michigan, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson to time served and three years of supervised release for making threats to injure law enforcement. Ward pleaded guilty to this charge on May 22, 2026.
On January 29, 2026, the Gogebic County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Office was investigating Ward for threatening to kill an Ironwood law enforcement officer. Deputies learned that Ward was not at his residence and viewed his Facebook page, which showed that he was traveling through Northern Wisconsin toward Duluth.
While en route, Ward posted threats that he was on his way to kill ICE agents. At the time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was engaged in a widely publicized operation in Minneapolis. Ward was arrested and charged with making threats to kill ICE agents.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson considered that Ward had suffered a mental health crisis leading up to his conduct in the case and also found that Ward, who had remained in custody since his arrest, had already served a sentence consistent with the guideline range for the offense. Judge Peterson imposed strict supervised release conditions, including a curfew and GPS monitoring.
The charge against Ward was the result of an investigation conducted by the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Last Update: Aug 27, 2026 10:12 am CDT
