MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Justice today announced that Dane County Circuity Court Judge John Hyland sentenced Terrance Grissom, 53, to three years of incarceration and two years of extended supervision for his role in a 2018 bomb scare threat against the Governor. Mr. Grissom pled guilty to Bomb Scare, as a Habitual Criminal on December 7, 2023. Judge Hyland sentenced Mr. Grissom on December 14, 2023, this sentence runs consecutive to his present sentences.

“Those who make criminal threats to harm others must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Bomb scares are serious offenses, and I’m thankful to everyone involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”

On April 9, 2018, a letter was delivered in the mail to the Dane County District Attorney’s Office from Mr. Grissom who was a state prison inmate.  The letter stated that there was a bomb in the Governor’s office that will go off at the push of a button and he will die. Capitol Police immediately evacuated the Governor’s Office, the Lt. Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office in the capitol. A bomb sniffing canine was brought in and it was determined there was no threat.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Robert Kaiser with the assistance of paralegals Jackie Righter and Brittney Johnson, and Legal Assistant Alex Szczech. This case was investigated by Dane County District Attorney Investigator Peter Hansen and now Capitol Police Lieutenant Abby Onsgaard with assistance from Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory DNA Analyst Denise Jones.