Two men sentenced to probation in Michigan voter intimidation robocall case
Two men who were charged with issuing robocalls to intimidate Detroit voters during the 2020 election have been sentenced to one year of probation, according to the Michigan Attorney General's office.
Jack Burkman, 59, of Arlington, Virginia, and Jacob Wohl, 27, of Great Falls, Virginia, each pleaded no contest in August 2025 to one count of bribing/intimidating voters, one count of conspiracy to commit an election law violation, one count of using a computer to commit the crime of intimidating voters and one count of using a computer to commit the crime of conspiracy.
The Attorney General's office says the probation agreement was made between the defendants and the court.
Officials said calls made in August 2020 falsely warned Detroit residents that if they voted by mail, they could be subjected to arrest, debt collection, and forced vaccination. Nearly 12,000 people with the 313 area code received a call.
Investigators said similar 30-second automated phone calls were made in New York state, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. The two men pleaded guilty in 2022 to telecommunications fraud in the Ohio case.
In 2024, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the charges against Burkman and Wohl, concluding that there was enough evidence to show that the calls by the two men were "intentionally false."
"The defendants' conduct used every racist dog whistle – fear of incarceration, fear of the government and fear of one's benefits being taken away – to steal the most fundamental right that we often take for granted: the right to vote," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.
"While on probation, if they engage in these types of criminal behaviors, they will be held to account here in Michigan. We all are aware, and this Court has made these defendants aware, that continuing to engage in criminal conduct while on probation is a violation, for which the Department will be ever vigilant about bringing to the attention of their probation agents and this Court. If they willingly choose to engage in the types of repulsive behaviors they have gained notoriety for, this Court and my Department will be watching."