Pa. man pleads guilty to threat in ranch showdown

An eastern Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to threatening a U.S. ranger who took part in an armed standoff on a Nevada ranch last year.

Prosecutors say 24-year-year-old Will Michael of Emmaus left a threatening voice message for Chief Ranger Mike Roop, calling him a “thug” and saying, “We’re going to find you. We’re going to kill you.”

Michael called Roop after seeing a video online of Roop physically moving Margaret Houston, the sister of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, during the standoff on Bundy’s ranch over unpaid cattle grazing fees.

Michael pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Philadelphia to threatening a federal law enforcement officer and interstate communication of threats. A plea agreement calls for a sentence of probation. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28.