Threatening phone call gets man time in jail
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
SKOWHEGAN — A Vassalboro man has been sentenced to serve 100 days in jail for making a threatening telephone call to the Norridgewock law office of former Maine attorney general Andrew Ketterer.
Jonathan Bloomberg, 53, was sentenced Tuesday in Somerset County Superior Court to 364 days in jail, with all but 100 days suspended. He was found guilty of terrorizing and disorderly conduct following a two-day trial in August.
Prosecutors had sought a 180-day incarceration, while the defense asked for jail time to be reduced to time served.
In addition to the jail time, Bloomberg must perform 350 hours of community service work and undergo a psychological evaluation. He is also banned from Somerset County, with the exception of Fairfield and the I-95 corridor.
Kennebec-Somerset District Attorney Evert Fowle said Bloomberg called Ketterer's office on March 7 and asked the person who answered "does he want to see his son burn in front of his eyes.
Fowle said while the criminal charges stemmed from that telephone threat, there had been "a number" of other threatening and harassing telephone calls from Bloomberg to Ketterer's office.
"The thing that made this different was that he was on federal probation for doing the same thing to somebody in Vermont," said Fowle.
Fowle said Bloomberg is a former college professor. He did not know which college he had taught at. He said Bloomberg targeted Ketterer because Ketterer had done legal work for the mother of his son.
Also on Tuesday, John Snowman, 35, of Hartland, was sentenced to five years in prison for assault and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.
Snowman pleaded guilty to the charges. He attacked a woman Sept. 17, holding a knife at her throat and beating her repeatedly.
Fowle called Snowman a "career criminal" and said "he has a long record and he certainly earned the maximum sentence he got here.
In another case, Augustine Reyes, 22, of Jackman was sentenced to 20 months in prison and four years probation on a probation violation and a brace of burglary and theft charges.
Reyes broke into two homes and stole food and other items, said Fowle.
Joe Rankin — 474-9534, Ext. 341
jrankin@centralmaine.com