A Tampa, Fla., resident pleaded guilty on June 7 before US District Judge James I. Cohn and was sentenced to a prison term for threatening the father of a first-grader who was killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting incident in 2012, according to a statement from federal officials.

Lucy Richards, 57, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Florida to one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce, in violation of federal law.

Judge Cohn sentenced Richards to five months of imprisonment, to be followed by five months of home confinement. In addition, Richards will be placed on three years of probation following those ten months of punishment.

According to the court record, on or about January 10, 2016, Richards made a series of death threats against Lenny Pozner, the father of Noah Pozner. Mr Pozner now lives in South Florida. In December 2016, Richards was indicted for threatening Pozner. Richards was indicted on four counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce.

Richards' belief that the school shooting was a hoax and had never happened motivated her to make the threats, according to federal officials.

The public defender for Richards stated in court papers filed on May 24 that the case would be resolved by a guilty plea. Richards had failed to appear at a March plea hearing and was later arrested at her home.