A man who threatened to kill members of the Chattanooga Islamic Center was sentenced on Thursday to serve 18 months in federal prison. He has already served over seven months.
That was the maximum of the sentencing range for 51-year-old Robert William Miller on his guilty plea to making interstate threats to injure the person of another. Miller has no prior felony charges, but a number of misdemeanor cases, including several drunk driving charges.
Judge Charles Atchley said Miller has "a long history of extremely disturbing behavior" related to mental health issues and use of alcohol and drugs.
He said an incident in 2020 when Miller was arrested on an obscenity charge after taking off his clothes in public "was some of the lewdest behavior I've seen."
Judge Atchley said, "He's been involved in a series of troubling and disturbing conduct throughout his adult life. Between his drinking beer and his mental illness is how we got here today."
The judge said Miller "is free to believe anything he wants about religion, but what he can't do is threaten to kill people based on their religion."
Attorney Michael Henry of the federal defender's office said Miller has no car and no gun and it was not a realistic threat. Prosecutor Chris Poole disagreed, saying, "This is anything but trivial. It's very serious. There needs to be a deterrence so that others don't do the same thing."
The principal of the Islamic Center's school said the threat had a chilling effect, frightening staff, students and parents. "It changed everything. Our sense of safety was taken away," she said. The school, which has 120 students, had to hire security guards, put up cameras and go to a gated system.
The president of the center said the extra security measures were costly and some have been afraid to return to the facility.
Agents said the Islamic Center received an email from "Robert" at a Gmail account that contained his initials, stating "I'm going to kill all of you, Hail Satan." ISGC received the threatening email at their official email.
ISGC is a Muslim community center where community members pray, attend school, and participate in extracurricular activities and events, it was stated.
ISGC reported the threat via email and text message to the FBI.
An emergency disclosure request to Google revealed the last Internet Protocol (IP) address utilized by Miller's email was a Chattanooga location and was linked to an EPB Internet service provider. EPB advised the IP address was attributed to The Brew and Cue, a bar located at 5017 Rossville Blvd.
The Brew and Cue bartenders were interviewed regarding the IP address usage by the Gmail account. The bartenders advised Robert Miller lived upstairs above The Brew and Cue bar, and Miller exclusively used the bar's WiFi for his phone and Internet usage.
In addition, the bartenders advised Miller "had a history of writing hateful and volatile messages and posts online including one instance in 2022 in which he threatened to rape and kill a woman on Facebook."
Agents and a Chattanooga Police officer went to Miller's residence at 5017 Rossville Blvd., Apt. B. Miller told law enforcement he did write the threatening email to ISGC.
After Miller was confronted by law enforcement, he wrote an email to the ISGC stating, "You are stupid, send the FBI after me, they didn't do anything but walk away, ---- you." It came from Miller's same Gmail account.
He was afterward taken into custody.
Judge Atchley directed that Miller receive a physical and mental health evaluation upon his arrival at prison.
Attorney Henry said Miller has skin cancer that needs attention.
The attorney said Miller tried to commit suicide while in jail after his federal arrest. He has a history of suicidal statements, it was stated.