ATLANTA – An unlawfully present Jamaican national in ICE custody at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison Feb. 14 for threatening a federal official during an immigration court hearing regarding his status.

According to court documents, Delroy Anthony McLean, 42, threatened to “bash the head” of a federal immigration judge and also threatened the life of the judge’s husband during court proceedings. McLean was convicted of threatening a federal official after a jury trial Oct. 4-5 in Columbus.

In addition to threatening a federal immigration judge, McLean also previously threatened ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) deportation officers and contract staff assigned to the Stewart Detention Center.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin E. Hyde, Jr., prosecuted the case on behalf of U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia G. F. “Pete” Peterman, III.

“Federal judges are public servants who should be free from threats and intimidation while carrying out their duties. Respect for law and the courts is essential to the functioning of our judicial system. This substantial sentence should make clear that behavior such as that of Mr. McLean will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Peterman.

McLean was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to serve his 41-month federal prison sentence; after which, he will be returned to ICE custody where he will face removal from the United States.

This case was investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents in Savannah.