PROVIDENCE - A former employee of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Middletown, Rhode Island, has been sentenced in U.S. District Court for transmitting threats in interstate commerce.

Luis Sanchez Pardella, 38, of Newport was sentenced on July 23, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to time served plus an additional 14 days, to be followed by six months in a residential reentry center, two years of supervised release, and no contact with the victim.

According to court documents, between July 2022 and February 2023, Pardella made numerous, and at times threatening, telephone calls to at least eight of his former colleagues at NUWC. In one instance, Pardella left a voicemail stating, "I will kill you and your wife when I see you on the street."

Additionally, between December 2022 and February 2023, Pardella made multiple threatening telephone calls to the Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Police Department, stating that an officer and his wife "will be going to jail," that "the Portsmouth Police Department is corrupt," and, in reference to the officer's wife, "write down (name redacted) is dead… the wife of one of your cops is dead."

"These targeted and deeply disturbing threats are not just words - they are calculated attempts to instill fear in public servants and their families," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles C. Calenda. "No one who dedicates their career to serving their community should be subjected to this kind of harassment and intimidation. Today's sentencing reflects our commitment to ensuring that individuals who terrorize others through threats of violence are held fully accountable."

"No one should be subjected to repeated harassment, threats, and intimidation for simply doing their jobs, especially public servants, but that's exactly what happened when Luis Sanchez Pardella unleashed his vitriolic words on his former colleagues," said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division. "His actions instilled genuine fear in the victims he targeted, disrupting their lives, and eroding their sense of security. While today's sentence holds him accountable for his crimes, the FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure others who engage in this kind of egregious behavior are also brought to justice."

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, and Providence Police Departments, and the Federal Air Marshal Service.