WBUP

A federal judge in Wisconsin has sentenced Justin Ward, 32, of Ironwood, Mich., to time served and three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to threatening to kill federal immigration agents during a high-profile ICE operation in Minneapolis. Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson handed down the sentence, citing Ward's mental health crisis at the time and the custody time he had already served, which aligned with sentencing guidelines.

The case began in January 2026 when Michigan's Gogebic County Sheriff's Office investigated Ward for threatening a local officer. Deputies tracked him via Facebook posts showing he was heading toward Duluth through Wisconsin, where he then posted threats to kill ICE agents amid the widely publicized Minneapolis enforcement operation. He was quickly arrested following a joint investigation by the sheriff's office and FBI. Judge Peterson imposed strict release conditions, including a curfew and GPS monitoring.