A mentally ill Vietnam veteran was sentenced Friday to five years of probation for making repeated threats to kill his Veterans Affairs financial guardian and blow up the agency's office building.

Ronald Franklin Barnes, 59 of Wildwood, had already spent close to 15 months in custody following his arrest. He pleaded guilty in August to making the threats, and U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich granted a defense motion to vary from the sentencing range of 15 to 21 months, based on the amount of time Barnes has already served.

Barnes admitted to making several phone calls to the VA's St. Petersburg office threatening to bomb the building and kill his fiduciary guardian.

Barnes told the judge that he had stopped taking his medication because he didn't like the side effects.

"If I'm on my meds, I don't act like this," Barnes said, promising to stay on them.

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Mentally Ill Vietnam Vet Gets Probation for Threatening a Veterans' Affairs Employee

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