A woman woman who made threats against a Kentucky prosecutor has been sentenced to three years and three months in federal prison.
Tara K. Thomas, 32, of Tompkinsville, pleaded guilty to stalking and mailing harassing communications.
The victim in the case was Kori Bumgarner, commonwealth’s attorney for Warren County.
Bumgarner was an assistant prosecutor in September 2021 when she was called on to handle a case involving Thomas, who faced charges that included public intoxication, assault of a police officer and disorderly conduct.
Thomas had been to a tattoo parlor in Bowling Green. The tattoo artist injured her and offered her cocaine to not make a complaint, but she tried to leave without paying and was arrested for being under the influence of alcohol, her attorney, Travis B. Lock, said in a memorandum in the later federal case.
Police said in a citation that Thomas kicked one officer and spat on another one.
Bumgarner offered Thomas pretrial diversion to resolve the charges, but the court record indicates Thomas was not pleased with that.
Thomas posted messages on Facebook referring to Bumgarner, including “You’re dead b—h;” threatened her children; and sent a message to Bumgarner’s stepfather saying “You’re (sic) daughter’s dead,” the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond D. McGee, said in a court document.
Bumgarner testified that the threats made her fear for her life and the lives of her family.
A jury in state court convicted Thomas in connection with the threats and a judge sentenced her to four years in state custody.
Thomas renewed her threats against Bumgarner in January 2023 after she had become commonwealth’s attorney, through letters she sent from the Warren County Jail.
One letter had the word “murder” spelled backwards and said Thomas hoped Bumgarner’s children would be raped and put in a meat grinder.
Another said Thomas hoped Bumgarner would “live in fear for the rest of her life,” according to McGee’s memo.
Thomas’ attorney, Lock, said in a sentencing memo that Thomas, who served as a U.S. Marine for four years, had had traumatic experiences with the court system before she was charged in the incident at the tattoo parlor.
Thomas was sexually assaulted by a neighbor at age 12, and the man and his attorney tried to portray her a a liar, Lock said.
During high school in Bowling Green, a teacher raped Thomas, but prosecutors allowed him to plead guilty to a lesser charge, Lock said.
After coming home from military service, Thomas began experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by her earlier bad experiences in the court system, Locke said.
That explained her anger over the handling of charges from the tattoo parlor incident, Lock said.
“Tara’s posttraumatic stress and her horrible past experiences with the justice system all came to a boiling point,” Lock wrote.
Bumgarner told the Herald-Leader she is grateful to federal prosecutors, the FBI and Bowling Green police for their work on the case and their commitment to the community.
“It is unfortunately becoming all to common for people merely doing their job in the judicial system to receive threats against them and their families,” Bumgarner said. “That behavior cannot become common place in order for our system to work.”
Chief U.S. District Judge Greg N. Stivers sentenced Thomas on May 21. She is currently being held in the Grayson County Detention Center.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
