MANCHESTER, N.H. (Tribune News Service) — A Keene State College student is facing a federal charge of threat in interstate communication, with federal agents accusing him of making threats to kill a member of Congress in a late-night voicemail left last week at the congressional office of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican, of Florida.

Allan Poller, a resident of Springfield, Vt., currently attending Keene State College, appeared in federal court Monday to answer accusations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he threatened a member of Congress in a voicemail.

Poller, 23, made his initial appearance and was released, according to his attorney, Jesse Friedman of Friedman & Bresaw, PLLC in Meredith. No plea is taken at the initial appearance when somebody is arrested on a complaint in federal court.

"Allan Poller is a peaceful young man and student," Friedman said of his client. "He means no ill will toward anybody and does not believe in violence or disruptive protest. He is mindful of the allegations against him and will allow the legal process to continue without further comment at this time. Allan maintains and is entitled to the presumption of innocence."

A spokesman for Congressman Matt Gaetz confirmed via email that Poller directed the threat at Gaetz.

The message was left at approximately 12:20 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29, according to court documents:.

"Hi, my name is Allan Poller, A-L-L-A-N P-O-L-L-E-R, phone number []8931," court documents show. "And I just want to let you know, Representative [Name], if you keep on coming for the gays, we're gonna strike back and I guarantee you, you do not want to f*** with us. We will kill you if that's what it takes. I will take a bullet to your f***ing head if you f*** with my rights anymore. And then if you want to keep going down that path, you know who's next."

In court paperwork, FBI Special Agent Wesley Garland says federal investigators determined the call came from a U.S. Cellular subscriber, identified as Poller.

Court paperwork shows a U.S. Capitol Police officer determined using open source records that Poller is currently a student at Keene State College.

Capitol police relayed the information to an officer of the Keene Police Department, and Keene police and Keene State College campus security contacted Poller outside his classroom.

"Poller admitted to leaving the voicemail," Garland said in court documents. "Poller stated that he did not actually plan to harm others or himself, does not own firearms, and was emotional and intoxicated when he left the voicemail."

Poller provided officials with a current address of residence in Keene, court records show.

The charge of threat in interstate communication provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, federal officials said.

Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

In December 2021, a decorated Navy veteran from Amherst who pleaded guilty to federal charges that he threatened to kill six members of Congress in late 2020 if they failed to "get behind Donald Trump" was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison.

Ryder Winegar pleaded guilty to six counts of threatening members of Congress and one count of transmitting interstate threatening communications. He was sentenced to 33 months.

According to court documents, Winegar left voicemail messages on Dec. 16 and 17, 2020, at the offices of six unidentified members of Congress in Washington. In several of the messages, Winegar identified himself by name or left his phone number, officials said. He also said he was a Navy veteran.

In one message, the voicemail said, "I got some advice for you. Here's the advice — Donald Trump is your president. If you don't get behind him, we're going to hang you until you die."

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