CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Kanawha County man apologized in court Tuesday before he was sentenced for threatening to blow up a state government office almost two years ago.
“I understand that I made a bad accusation and I apologize. It was just terrible. I do understand that I messed up and I’m very sorry for that,” Joseph Estep, 43, of Nitro, said during a hearing in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey sentenced Estep to 1-3 years on home confinement for threatening a WorkForce West Virginia employee over the phone in Dec. 2015. Estep called the office after he was denied unemployment benefits.
He was facing up to three years in jail and up to $25,000 in fines.
Bailey said Estep has anger issues that need to be addressed.
“My problem is doing something about addressing this anger management before you continue to show up in this justice system and continue to have victims,” Bailey told him in court.
She said Estep has a lengthy criminal record that shows he cannot control his temper.
“A lot of these allegations and a lot of these convictions involve a pattern of what I would describe as violent conduct, violent tendencies,” Bailey said.
As part of his sentencing, Estep is also required to complete an anger management program at the Kanawha County Day Report Center.
Estep’s attorney Justin Collin requested his client remain on house arrest because he immediately realized what he did was wrong.
“I think he has shown genuine remorse and acceptance of responsibility in this case. I think he truly gets it what he did” Collin said.