EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene has returned an indictment charging a Eugene man with stalking and mailing threatening letters to a former teacher.
Gary Franklin, 57, has been charged with stalking and using the U.S. Postal Service to mail threatening communications.
According to court statements, Franklin sent two letters to an adult female victim between December 2020 and May 2021. The first letter contained a printout of what appeared to be a deceased, mutilated female. Handwritten wording above and below the image included racial and sexual orientation slurs and stated, “What I’d like to do to you.” The second letter contained another photograph of a deceased, mutilated female. The handwritten wording around the image stated that the photograph represented Franklin’s fantasy of what he wanted to do to the victim.
A forensic analysis conducted by the Oregon State Police Laboratory found Franklin’s fingerprints on the first letter. In May 2021, the FBI subsequently executed a search warrant on Franklin’s Eugene residence, revealing a collection of knives, violent literature, and white supremacist memorabilia. Franklin was arrested without incident.
Franklin made his initial appearance in federal court on May 21, 2021 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and scheduled for a jury trial to begin on July 27, 2021. On May 24 and 25, 2021, a U.S. Magistrate Judge held detention hearings for Franklin and detained him pending the jury trial.
If convicted, Franklin faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison for each count, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam E. Delph is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Stalking is a serious federal crime involving a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety. For more information about stalking, including resources for victims, please visit the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center (SPARC) at www.stalkingawareness.org.
Anyone with information about real or perceived threats of violence should call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
For immediate threats to life and safety, please call 9-1-1.