Terrorist Threats, Harassment Lead To Felonies Filed Against Venice Woman

EDWARDSVILLE - A woman from Venice faces multiple felony charges after allegedly making terrorist threats and more - including death threats, a false bomb threat, and other forms of harassment against local criminal justice officials.

Gwendolyn West, 61, of Venice, was charged on May 7, 2024 with making a terrorist threat (a Class X felony), disorderly conduct (a Class 3 felony), and electronic harassment (a Class 4 felony).

West allegedly told an employee of the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office that she “intended to blow up the Criminal Justice Center building” in Edwardsville, according to court documents. At the time of these threats being made, “there were no reasonable grounds to believe that such a bomb was present at the Criminal Justice Center building.”

She was additionally charged with electronic harassment after a telephone call with another employee of the State’s Attorney’s Office, during which West “threatened to ‘blow the victim’s brains out’” and “to kill the victim or any member of the victim’s family or household.”

West had also been charged on May 2, 2024 with harassment through electronic communication, a Class B misdemeanor. In that instance, while on the phone with a third employee of the State’s Attorney’s Office, she reportedly threatened to appear at the employee’s workplace and “whoop [the victim’s] ass.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office presented the case against West, who was remanded to jail to be held until her initial appearance in court.

The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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