A Redmond man who threatened the Mayor of Kirkland and other government officials has been sentenced to 40 months in prison.

David R. Myrland, 53, will be on federal supervised release for three years following his prison term and is required to repay the City of Kirkland $1,961 for police overtime costs.

Myrland faced U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez Friday who told him, “The law applies to everyone … And the consequences of breaking the law apply to everyone as well.”

Myrland claimed to be part of the “Sovereign Citizens” movement, based in Mount Vernon, Wash., which claims the laws of the United States do not apply to them. The group has an armed wing, the so-called “County Rangers,” who serve as the assembly’s “law enforcement” arm.

“Our cherished right to free speech does not extend to the freedom to make threats against our public officials and law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

Myrland threatened to arrest Mayor Joan McBride and Kirkland’s Assistant City Attorney Oskar Rey in 2010. The Redmond man was arrested in January for making those threats.

“Today the court held Mr. Myrland accountable for his crimes,” said Durkan. “His crimes had real victims. For too long Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride and other city officials have had to live with the specter of Mr. Myrland’s armed associates invading their homes. I applaud the courage of the mayor and her officers who appeared at the sentencing hearing today and described how this defendant’s selfish campaign of threats and quasi-legal filings has altered their lives.”

Myrland’s threats to the mayor came via email and were in response to his arrest by a Kirkland Police officer in April of 2010. That arrested resulted in the impounding of his vehicle for driving with a suspended license and expired vehicle-license tabs.

At the time of Myrland’s arrest, he was found to have an unloaded handgun on the front passenger seat with a loaded magazine lying next to the firearm, according to court documents. The gun was initially taken for safe keeping but later returned to Myrland.

Myrland said police wrongfully took his handgun, which compromised his safety when he encountered a threatening stray dog soon after.

He stated that Mayor McBride is an offender of Washington State felony statutes and is a threat to the safety of all state residents, according to court documents. He went on to say that he was going to arrest the mayor and warned McBride to leave her doors unlocked and to not resist arrest.

McBride told Kirkland Police that upon receipt of the email she became fearful for her safety, as well as the safety of her family. She was unaware of Myrland’s arrest. She was so fearful that she obtained a temporary anti-harassment order against Myrland, according to court documents.

In asking for a four- year prison term, prosecutors wrote to the court that Myrland “has made repeated threats over the years to ‘arrest’ government officials using ‘deadly force.’ He continues to this day to apparently believe that he was in the right, and everyone else is in the wrong. Despite his guilty plea, he continues to argue that he had a legal right to make the threats he made; that they were not legally threats; and that he was in the right in virtually every respect,” prosecutors wrote in sentencing documents.

Rey, who lives in Seattle, received a voicemail message from Myrland on his home phone on Sept. 20, 2010, found by his wife. The caller ID had Myrland’s name and phone number listed and the message stated: “Keep your doors unlocked. Don’t resist. You’re going to be meeting people.”

Fearful for his family’s safety, Rey contacted Seattle Police.

Myrland, a self-described legal advocate and consultant, has a long history with the City of Kirkland and contends that the city has performed unlawful actions against him since 2002. He sent a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire, among others, on Sept. 20, 2010 seeking an investigation into a “half dozen” Kirkland city employees.

Rey and McBride could not be reached for comment.