BOMBS, BRIBERY, EXTORTION: A FLORIDA MAN'S REIGN OF TERROR COMES TO AN END
Bring the bomb squad,” “I paid for the house. It’s rigged,” and “Tell Tim Lane to call you, you filth.”
A Key West, Florida man is facing a slew of felony charges after allegedly launching a months-long campaign of threats, extortion, and bribery against Scott County officials in an attempt to manipulate the legal system.
Jacob Pautsch, 34, was taken into custody Saturday night and remains held on a $100,000 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail. Court records reveal that Pautsch is charged with threat of terrorism, false report of an explosive device as a hate crime, stalking in violation of a protective order, bribery, extortion, and an aggravated misdemeanor for accessory after the fact.
From May to December 2024, Pautsch allegedly inundated the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and Scott County Attorney’s Office with emails, text messages, and phone calls demanding that charges against a relative be dismissed. His threats included lawsuits, personal intervention from supposed federal contacts, and orchestrating raids on Scott County law enforcement agencies by the Department of Justice, the FBI, and other federal authorities.
According to court affidavits, Pautsch’s aggression escalated over the summer. On July 5 and July 9, he emailed Scott County officials claiming to possess evidence of metadata manipulation by the victim in his relative’s case. Then, on July 8, Pautsch sent a series of alarming text messages to a domestic violence victim who was under the protection of a court-ordered no-contact order. His messages included chilling statements such as, “Bring the bomb squad,” “I paid for the house. It’s rigged,” and “Tell Tim Lane to call you, you filth.”
Pautsch also repeatedly harassed the victim, threatening them with federal charges, federal prison, and defamation. His messages allegedly contained racial slurs directed at the victim and their family and included coercive language urging the victim to commit suicide.
Pautsch did not stop at threatening the victim—he allegedly tried to manipulate legal authorities by falsely presenting himself as an agent of federal agencies. In an email to an Iowa Clerk of Courts employee on July 8, he wrote, “If you’re willing, the Bureau of Investigations is willing to compensate for disclosures relating to RICO and otherwise on a confidential information basis, and so am I and my family as it relates.” Authorities believe this statement was intended to falsely portray him as an informant or representative of the federal government.
Pautsch also claimed that multiple Scott County law enforcement officials had been flagged by federal agencies and were under surveillance. He used this fabricated narrative in an apparent attempt to coerce sheriff’s deputies into intervening on behalf of his relative. At one point, he falsely implicated DEA agents, claiming they were investigating the victim in his relative’s case—statements authorities say he made to intimidate the victim and pressure law enforcement.
In addition to threats and coercion, Pautsch allegedly attempted bribery. Affidavits detail his efforts to broker a “confidential settlement agreement” with Scott County officials, implying that he would go public with unverified allegations of sexual misconduct against a sheriff’s deputy if charges against his relative were not dropped.
On November 15, Pautsch escalated his threats by emailing Scott County Sheriff’s Office officials and attaching local media, demanding the charges be dismissed. Within these communications, he again accused law enforcement of sexual misconduct but refused to provide any supporting evidence.
A week later, on November 22, he accused Scott County of wire fraud after experiencing issues with his credit card while attempting to post bail for his relative. He claimed to have had a conversation with “high-level DOJ officials” regarding the case.
Authorities also accuse Pautsch of actively obstructing justice by hiding his relative in Florida while they were wanted on arrest warrants. Throughout this period, he continued to send emails and text messages to Scott County officials, threatening legal action and claiming federal intervention if the charges were not dropped.
Pautsch’s threats reportedly extended to several sheriff’s office employees, whom he vowed to have prosecuted on various charges.
With the severity of the allegations, Pautsch remains behind bars awaiting his preliminary hearing, scheduled for January 28 in Scott County Court. The case underscores the dangers of harassment, the misuse of legal threats, and the consequences of attempting to manipulate the justice system through intimidation and deception.
As more details emerge, this case serves as a chilling reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in pursuit of their own version of justice—no matter the cost to others.