Jerry Gordon, a 56-year-old former Cornell employee, was sentenced to two years in prison for threatening to kill a man from Aurora, New York, according to a statement made by the United States Department of Justice on Nov. 25.
From April 22-25, 2025, Gordon sent the Aurora resident multiple threatening text messages, one of which stated that he would “drink your blood from the chalice that I will make out of your heart.”
On April 25, Gordon boarded a plane from Colorado, where he currently lives, to Syracuse, which is about 40 miles from Aurora. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested him upon exiting the plane.
The investigation and subsequent arrest involved various local and federal agencies. Officers from New York State, Syracuse, Syracuse Regional Airport Authority and Cornell worked on the case in addition to Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service and the Federal Air Marshal Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and FBI Special Agent Charge Craig L. Tremaroli, announced Gordon’s arrest, condemning Gordon’s actions but applauding law enforcement’s quick response in pursuing Gordon once they were made aware of the threats.
Sarcone noted Gordon’s flight indicated he would carry out the threats, saying, “The defendant not only made these abhorrent threats; he traveled from Colorado to Syracuse to make good on them."
Following his release, Gordon will face an additional three years of supervision.
Ellie Porter is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a contributor for the News department and can be reached at lep66@cornell.edu.
