Fairfax man pleads guilty to threatening to kill Veterans Affairs and U.S. Postal Service employees

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A Fairfax man pled guilty today to making threatening communications over interstate commerce and threatening to kill a federal official.

According to court documents, on April 29, Kenneth R. Woodard, 57, called the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) crisis line and demanded to be connected to a VA hospital and, specifically, a VA police officer that he interacted with earlier in the day. During the call, Woodard stated he was on his way to the VA hospital with an armor-piercing firearm to kill the officer.

On May 13, Woodard made three calls the United State Postal Service (USPS) Customer Care Center, speaking with a different USPS employee each time regarding a package he was waiting to receive. Woodard threatened to kill one of the employees with whom he spoke. He stated the next time he saw a mailman he was going to "kill him," and that if the package was not delivered that day, he would travel to the post office with a firearm. Woodard claimed that he was a U.S. Marine sniper and that if he had to go to the post office, he would bring a gun.

During a phone call later that day with Postal Inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service, Woodard stated he would sit outside a local post office and put a bullet in someone's head if he did not receive his package. Woodard claimed to possess three firearms and told the Postal Inspectors that if they came to his house they should come with firepower.

On May 28, during a phone call with the VA crisis line, Woodard told a VA Crisis Specialist that he was going to find and rape the specialist's husband and children.

Woodard is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Cheryl L. Mason, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Mercer is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-204.