A 45-year-old man in Tennessee has been sentenced to a few years in prison after admitting to sending numerous violent and profanity-filled messages that threatened the life of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her family.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier sentenced Garry Lebron Hayes to two years in a federal correctional facility. Hayes pleaded guilty to one count of using interstate commerce to communicate a threat of injury to another person.

Collier imposed the maximum penalty permitted under the federal sentencing guidelines, intending to “send a signal to all of the other Garry Lebron Hayes” in the nation who might think they could engage in such behavior, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. Although law enforcement indicated there was no proof Hayes intended to follow through with threats against the Republican congresswoman, the judge purportedly noted that the severe sentence aimed more to safeguard democracy than to protect Greene.

Court documents reveal Hayes frequently identified himself by name and disclosed his location in the threatening communications to the congresswoman. For instance, in a voice message left on March 9, 2022, Hayes said the following:

Hey [Congresswoman]. My name is Gary, G-A-R-R-Y, Hayes, H-A-Y-E-S. And I’m a little bit off. I’m a little bit taken back, but I’m from that area you are. And at any time that you feel like you want to do white nationalist s—, call my name, call my name. I’ll come see you and your children, and we’ll see how that ends up. B—!

In December 2022, Hayes left Greene another voicemail, this time mentioning her children as well as her then-husband Perry Greene, writing:

Let me assure you of something. You trifling b—. I’m a black man and I will meet you one day, b—. And when I do, I want your kids there, cause I’m gonna beat your mother f—ing ass in front of your children, b—. Now come f— with me. Come f— with me. Have your husband there too, b—.

Hayes’s rhetoric became increasingly violent, and on July 2, 2024, he upped the ante from threatening to beat up Greene to threatening to kill her, writing:

I’m in Chattanooga. You got, you got to ask your kids to f—ing finally kiss your ass, b—. Imma kill your ass, Imma kill you, b—.

Following the threats to Greene, an FBI task force officer interviewed the suspect’s mother at her home in Tennessee regarding her son’s threats. After learning of the FBI’s visit, Hayes responded by sending the following email to an FBI special agent:

I just unfortunately found out that you have visited my mother’s house. I certainly have not threatened or did anything to the government. But I understand Trump is elected and [your] counterpart clearly is a Trump lover. Don’t threaten my mother and don’t threaten me, I don’t have a threat for you all but I will defend my life to death. So tell your friend don’t come back to me don’t come back to my mother’s house I don’t have a threat for you all. But I’m willing to die.

During one court proceeding, prosecutors also played a voice message Hayes left for South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, according to the Free Press. In the message, Hayes referred to the Republican senator with a homophobic slur and accused him of having sex with President Donald Trump.

Hayes will be required to undergo mental health counseling during his incarceration.