National Guardsman who threatened to kill Mike Pence is sentenced

A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for threatening to kill Vice President Mike Pence.

U.S. District Judge Kim Gibson issued the sentence Friday to William Dunbar, 23, of Berlin, Pa.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, three witnesses said Dunbar made the statements days before the vice president, a former governor of Indiana, was set to appear as a keynote speaker at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11.

Local police told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat that Dunbar was on duty last fall at the Army National Guard Training Center, 90 miles from the memorial, when he said, “If someone pays me enough money, I will kill the vice president.”

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that a Secret Service agent said Dunbar said "I'll make a terroristic threat, I'll kill him. I don't give a (expletive). There's nothing they're going to do."

The newspaper also reported that the base where Dunbar was stationed did not allow him to be near guns and that members of the community lived in fear of him.

Dunbar was arrested by police on Sept. 8, days before Pence gave his speech at the memorial site.

His sentence also includes six months of home detention and a requirement to receive mental health treatment.

Nate Chute is a producer with IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter at @nchute.