Arizona man sentenced to prison for threatening Mormon church members

PHOENIX — An Arizona man has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison for threatening members of the Mormon church in Utah, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona announced Sunday.

Prosecutors said 72-year-old Richard Corrie Beals of Tucson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 13 months and one day in prison and was fined $5,000.

Beals was convicted after a jury trial on two counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to kidnap or injure.

The evidence at trial showed Beals sent multiple threatening and harassing communications over an extended period of time, to various federal officials and private citizens in Salt Lake City.

Prosecutors said evidence also showed that many of Beals’ threats were directed at members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Once Beals is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for three years, has been ordered not to contact any of the victims and is barred from entering any Mormon facilities or temples.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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