A current Keene State College off-campus student was arrested by federal authorities, according to an email sent to the campus community on April 3.
The Keene Sentinel reported that Allan B. Poller, 23, has been charged in federal court with threatening a member of Congress in a voicemail. Poller was a previous member of the men’s track and field team.
According to WMUR, the call was placed to Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives.
A press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice stated Poller made an initial appearance in federal court in Concord, N.H. on Monday, April 3, at 3 p.m. According to the charging documents, on Wednesday, March 29, at approximately 12:20 a.m., Poller made the call and left a voicemail.
The following quotation has been edited because of its vulgar language. Gaetz’s name redacted from the criminal complaint. The voicemail stated, “Hi, my name is Allan Poller, A-L-L-A-N P-O L-L-E-R, phone number —-8931. 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–k with us. We will kill you if that’s what it . I will take a bullet to your f—ing head if you f–k with my rights anymore. And then if you want to keep going down that path, you know who’s next.”
The charge Poller faces, a federal count of transmitting a 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, the press release stated.
According to WMUR, Poller told police he did not actually plan to harm anyone, adding he was emotional and intoxicated when he left the voicemail. Poller was ordered to have no contact with U.S. representatives and to stay away from drugs and alcohol. The Keene Sentinel also stated Kristen Setera, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Boston division, said Poller was taken into custody “without incident” in Springfield, Vt., over the weekend.
KSC President Melinda Treadwell sent an email to the college community the evening Monday, April 3, regarding the arrest. “We are cooperating fully with relevant law enforcement bodies in this emergent situation. In the context of this development, it is important to note that, while the College supports a culture that embraces the free and open exchange of ideas, it does not condone violence, or threats of violence, as a means for overcoming differences.”
The statement continued, “Keene State College has policies and practices to address actions that run contrary to our values; our Student Code of Conduct explicitly prohibits behaviors that threaten or endanger the health or safety of any person.”
KSC Director of Strategic Communications and Community Relations Paul Miller referred The Equinox to the press release issued by the Department of Justice and provided no additional comment. Poller is due back in court next week.
Piper Pavelich can be contacted at
ppavelich@kscequinox.com
