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Mentally Ill Homeless Man Who Threatened President Gets Prison

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

TAMPA - A mentally ill homeless man who threatened President Bush was sentenced this morning to 57 months in federal prison.

Timothy Wade Pinkston told the judge he is HIV-positive, has a drug and alcohol problem and has being diagnosed as bipolar. Pinkston said that on the day in 2007 when he threatened Bush, he had been taking drugs and drinking and didn't know what he was saying.

He also said he was trying to get St. Joseph's Hospital to give him a place to sleep.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew expressed frustration at having no solutions for dealing with Pinkston, who previously threatened President Clinton and the governor of Georgia.

"Mr. Pinkston, there's no good answers here," Bucklew said. "I think you are a danger to yourself and to the community. You do things to get yourself hospitalized."

The judge also ordered that he serve two years of probation upon his release, and she recommended that he be housed in a federal prison that has a medical facility for both mental and physical health issues.

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