Lowell Man Sentenced to Time Served

HAMMOND - On February 24, 2026, John Andrew Smriga III, 24 years old, of Lowell, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to transmitting threatening communications, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Smriga was sentenced to time served followed by 1 year of supervised release with a term of home detention for 8 months. Smriga was also ordered to pay a $2,000.00 fine.

According to documents in the case, Smirga used anonymizing internet-based phone services to send threatening text messages and images to an elected official in Crown Point, Indiana and a law enforcement officer in Cedar Lake, Indiana. As part of the threat, messages to both victims included pictures of individuals holding and/or mimicking the possession of firearms.

"Public servants are the backbone of the American justice system. Working in tandem, federal and state law enforcement will ensure that individuals who threaten officials online-as John Andrew Smriga III did-are held strictly to account," said United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. "Today's sentence proves that these threats are not mere pranks, but crimes requiring real consequences. I want to thank the FBI and the Indiana State Police for their swift work in neutralizing these serious threats."

"Threats against elected officials and law enforcement, especially those involving images of firearms, are taken extremely seriously," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley. "The FBI is committed to investigating these threats and holding anyone who seeks to intimidate public servants or endanger our communities fully accountable."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Francis Sohn prosecuted the case.