Wayzata man charged after threats to kill federal judges

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A Wayzata man who wrote a manifesto titled “How to Kill a Federal Judge” is in custody once again. Robert Ivers, 72, has a history of threatening the lives of judges.

On Sept. 3, police were called to the Wayzata Public Library after a librarian said Ivers was making copies of the 236-page manifesto. Ivers showed this work to librarians and gave them a flyer that advertised the manifesto before he left.

The flyer made statements such as the “harsh reality is that judges are going to die.” It advertised the manifesto as “designed to teach extremists on how to hunt, stalk and kill anyone including judges, their family members, politicians and more!”

The manifesto includes many names, including those of federal judges. He specifically focused on one federal judge who had presided over a trial in which was involved, as well as the federal judge Ivers was previously convicted of threatening to murder. Ivers allegedly made threats to kill judges, their children and pets. Ivers wrote, “If this book doesn’t instill fear in you then your already dead.”

Ivers was arrested Sept. 3. However, he claimed to be having a heart attack and was taken to a hospital. The hospital released him that night.

Searching Ivers’ vehicle, law enforcement found 20 copies of the manifesto, book flyers, and lists of federal judges, among other things. The list included the judge who presided over Ivers’ prior trial. On Sept. 5, Ivers was re-arrested. He is charged with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge.

Law enforcement had been contacted about Ivers just days before when members of an Episcopal church reported that Ivers, who attended a service, exhibited unusual behavior. After searching up Ivers online and learning of his criminal history, they called law enforcement.

“At a time when Minnesota is reeling from acts of violence, the last thing we need is someone spreading fear into our churches, libraries, and courts,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Ivers’ threats are bone chilling.”

Ivers’ violent inclinations toward members of the judiciary are not new.  In 2015, Ivers had filed a breach-of-contract claim action against a life insurance company that was removed to federal district court. After the court granted summary judgment in favor of the insurance company on most claims, Ivers sent the federal judge several notes, including a comment “I am becoming a very dangerous person!!” After final judgment in favor of the insurance company was entered, Ivers said that he was like a “walking bomb.”

He then filed a second suit against the insurance company. However, the attorneys that were matched with Ivers through the Pro Se Project informed Ivers that the judge’s previous rulings would likely cause the claim to fail. During a conversation with the attorneys, Ivers said, “you don’t know the 50 different ways I planned to kill her.” The attorneys reported these threats.

Ivers was convicted by a federal jury in 2018 of threatening to murder a federal judge. He was sentenced to prison for 18 months, followed by three years of supervised release. But in 2020, after he was released, he violated the terms of the conditions of supervised release.

In 2022, Ivers was sentenced to additional prison and supervised release time during a revocation hearing. At the end of the hearing, Ivers yelled that he was going to kill one of the probation officers. He was then charged with one count of threatening to murder a United States official.

“Threats of violence directed at federal judges not only undermine the integrity of our legal system but also pose a grave risk to the principles of justice and democracy,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners consider all threats of violence against judges, or any public servants, with grave seriousness. These actions will not be tolerated.”

Ivers has also targeted state judges. In 2016, Ivers was convicted of stalking, after repeatedly calling a Hennepin County District Court judge. Ivers told this judge that “I’m going to make sure you feeling some f—ing pain” and “You’re going to see who the alpha male is, you dead f—.”