Trucker who claimed to be victim sentenced to five years in prison

New Jersey truck driver was indicted in a local road rage incident

BY SUSAN SHARP

JACKSBORO, TN. (WLAF) – Keith Kugel has learned there is no escaping the long arm of the law. He will have the next five years to think about it too.

The New Jersey truck driver was indicted in a local road rage incident in 2024. CLICK HERE for more information.

Kugel, 58 at the time, Forked River, NJ,  was indicted on aggravated assault and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. The weapon in question was a 2019 Freightliner 18- wheeler. He allegedly tried to run a car off the interstate near the Caryville exit.

Throughout the arraignment Kugel insisted he was the victim in the incident.

He then opted to represent himself and asked for a jury trial.

And that is where his case veered off the normal trajectory of a criminal court proceeding. Instead of planning his defense, Kugel engaged in a pattern of harassment directed at the attorney general’s office and the circuit court clerk’s office, according to court records.

On June 10, 2024, Kugel called the district attorney’s office where a “volatile phone conversation ensued.” He was told to only contact the office via email going forward. His response was to call the office 54 times in 28 minutes the next day. Law enforcement had to intervene to stop the calls, court records said.

Kugel changed his strategy after that. From June 13, 2024 until March 18, 2025 he emailed the district attorney’s office 2,280 times. Many of the emails repeated themselves constituting a pattern of harassment.

Since his arrest Kugel exhibited unstable behavior. “His brazenness in emailing” the circuit court clerk was additional evidence of his “erratic and criminal behavior and inability to follow decent human behavior and respect,” the sentencing memorandum said.

Kugel’s other behavior included attempting to “negotiate the disposition” of his case, failing to appear at the trial he requested, threating to leave for Ukraine and eventually going to South America where he ended up in jail, according to court records. He was extradited back to the states.

In criminal court on Monday, Kugel was sentenced to five years in prison. He will serve 100 percent of the sentence.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 10/9/2025-6AM)