Overview

• U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will challenge the 97‑month term as "woefully insufficient."
• U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman sentenced Nicholas Roske, who goes by Sophie, to 97 months in prison and ordered lifetime supervised release after an April guilty plea.
• Prosecutors sought at least 30 years while the defense asked for eight, and the judge credited remorse, a 911 surrender, mental‑health factors, and concerns over access to gender‑affirming care in federal custody, referencing a presidential executive order.
• Roske traveled to the area near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home in June 2022 with a firearm before calling police and surrendering, according to court records.
• Conservative figures criticized the sentence as too lenient, with Sen. John Kennedy saying he was "shocked," as debate continues over appropriate penalties and deterrence for politically motivated threats.