US man behind bars over Obama threat

US President Barack Obama

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A NORTH Carolina man has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for threatening to shoot and kill Barack Obama when he was the Democratic candidate for president.

The US Attorney's office announced on Monday that 48-year-old Jerry Michael Blanchard also was fined $US3,000 ($A3,796) and ordered to be under supervised release for three years following his prison term.

Blanchard was arrested on August 1, 2008. The US Attorney's office says Blanchard threatened to assassinate Obama two separate times that July. One witness told federal authorities that Blanchard said he planned to purchase a pistol.

According to a federal affidavit, there was no proof Blanchard tried to carry out the threats.