Nebraska man threatened to kill federal officer after being cited for fishing violation

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Blair man will serve nearly a decade in prison after he threatened to kill a federal officer over a fishing violation ticket.

Cody Cape, 24, was sentenced Thursday to 117 months in prison for threatening to murder a federal law enforcement officer and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

In October 2020, a United States Fish and Wildlife Service officer cited Cape for a fishing violation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Cape and one of his friends were suspects in a poaching investigation conducted by the officer.

Two months later, Cape’s friend picked him up and told him to drive to the officer’s home in Blair.

Cape then had his friend drive him to an Omaha apartment so he could pick up a handgun and a rifle, according to the attorney’s office.

The road trip continued, as Cape asked his friend to drive to the Desoto National Wildlife Refuge to see if the officer had been staying in employee housing.

His friend initially refused but complied out of fear, the attorney’s office said.

On the way back from Desoto, Cape started talking about ways to kill the officer.

Those methods included using C4, TNT or dynamite to kill the officer and his family, according to the attorney’s office.

After hearing the threats, Cape’s friend called the police.

On Dec. 25, 2020, Cape was found by Blair Police officers.  He had a handgun in his possession at the time, the attorney’s office said.

Cape was interviewed by federal authorities and asked if he had made statements about killing the officer.

He said “probably” but claimed that those statements were not serious, according to the attorney’s office.

Cape added that he didn’t know where he would’ve even gotten C4.

Members of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Blair Police Department helped investigate the case.

Cape will not get out of prison early, as there is no parole in the federal system.  He will serve a 3-year term of supervised release after prison.