Balsam Lake Woman Sentenced for Threatening Communications

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of Wisconsin
7 July 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MADISON, WIS. - John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cassandra Doerr, 23, Balsam Lake, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to time served – just over four months in custody – to be followed by three years of supervised release, for sending threatening communications with the intent to extort money from another person. Doerr pleaded guilty to this charge on April 26, 2016.

Doerr and her co-defendant, Gregory Kolk, made threatening phone calls and sent threats by text message from their residence in Minnesota to a victim in Trempealeau County, Wis., during late November 2015. In the communications, they demanded that the victim pay substantial amounts of money to Doerr in order to avoid injury or death at the hands of members of a motorcycle gang.

The victim contacted law enforcement, and Doerr and Kolk were arrested in Osseo, Wis., on December 1, 2015, when they arrived to pick up money from the victim.

Kolk is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Peterson on July 19.

In arriving at an appropriate sentence, Judge Peterson noted his concern for the seriousness of the crime and its impact upon the victim. However, he took into consideration Doerr’s young age, lack of criminal record, Kolk’s exercise of influence over her, her cooperation with the prosecution of Kolk, and her need for counseling.

The charge against Cassandra Doerr was the result of an investigation conducted by the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.