Billings Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Threatening to Murder U.S. Sen. Tester
As part of James Cross’s plea agreement, the court dismissed a second count that charged Cross with threats against President Joe Biden
By Beacon Staff
A Billings man who admitted to threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Anthony James Cross, 30, pleaded guilty in January to threats to injure and murder a United States senator. The court accepted a plea agreement in the case and ultimately dismissed a second count that charged Cross with threats against President Joe Biden.
The government alleged in court documents that on April 17, 2023, Tester’s office received voicemails containing direct threats to the senator and his family. The voicemails, which contained expletives, included threats that the caller was going to, among other things, “kill every single one of your (obscenity) family members,” and that they would experience a “horrendous death,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement determined that Cross, who lived in Billings and had previous interactions with law enforcement, was placing the calls.
A review of Cross’s social media activity also revealed disturbing content. The government further alleged that on April 25, 2023, representatives from technology company Google contacted the FBI regarding multiple comments made on YouTube videos flagged as threatening. Those comments were attributed to Cross’s YouTube account and those made in April 2023 included direct threats to kill the President and how “we are actively hunting down and killing any trans in our major cities.”
When interviewed, law enforcement says Cross admitted to making the comments posted on YouTube and to using his cellular phone to make threats.
The FBI and United States Secret Service conducted the investigation. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus and Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case. The FBI and United States Secret Service conducted the investigation.