Maryland

A Maryland man has been sentenced to two years in prison after making death threats to members of an advocacy group for LGBTQI+ people.

According to evidence, the man sent threatening communications to Maryland and Virginia state delegates due to their support of transgender people.

In one incident, on March 2022 he responded to a Maryland state delegate’s social media post that was honoring National Trans Day of Visibility, stating that he would have her excommunicated from the Catholic Church. In a later post, after she was re-elected, he wrote, â€œEnjoy hell…You’re going sooner than you think.â€

During another incident, in March 2023, the defendant left a voicemail for an LGBTQI+ advocacy group threatening to kill them. In the voicemail, he stated, “…we’ll cut your throats. We’ll put a bullet in your head…You’re going to kill us? We’re going to kill you 10 times more in full.â€

Sentencing: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/maryland-man-sentenced-issuing-death-threats-lgbtqi-advocacy-group

A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to using a phone to threaten a group that advocates for LGBTQI+ rights.

In March of 2023, the victim organization received a voicemail from the defendant who referenced a mass-shooting event where the shooter was a transgender woman. In the voicemail the man threated to kill the workers of the advocacy group. The defendant targeted the advocacy group because of their actual and perceived gender identity and sexual orientation.

According to evidence, the defendant had also sent messages via email to two state delegates who had voiced support for LGBTQI+ advocacy. He threatened physical violence and even death in those messages.

He faces up to five years in prison.

Guilty Plea: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/maryland-man-pleads-guilty-issuing-threats-violence-lgbtqi-advocacy-group

A Maryland man was charged with a hate crime for using a telephone to threaten an LGBTQI+ advocacy group.

According to the charges, on the evening of March 28, 2023, the organization received a voicemail saying “…We’ll cut your throats.  We’ll put a bullet in your head.†Investigators discovered that the voicemail was left by a phone number belonging to the defendant.

These are serious allegations. But the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/howard-county-man-facing-federal-charges-allegedly-making-threatening-phone-call-lgbtq

A Maryland woman and a Florida man have been charged with conspiracy to destroy an energy facility, allegedly driven by their ideology of racially-motivated hatred. The two defendants schemed to attack local power grid facilities.

The defendants each face a maximum of 20 years in prison.

These are serious allegations. But the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/federal-indictment-returned-charging-maryland-woman-and-florida-man-conspiring-destroy

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/maryland-woman-and-florida-man-face-federal-charges-conspiring-destroy-energy-facilities

A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging a Maryland man for threatening to attack a Baltimore-area synagogue on multiple occasions. The superseding indictment replaces the previous indictment, which only charged him with making threats in interstate communications.

In addition to the interstate communications charge, the suspect is charged with intentionally attempting to obstruct persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs through threats of force.

According to the superseding indictment, he made numerous telephone calls to an employee of a synagogue in Owings Mills, Maryland, and threatened to kill members of the synagogue’s congregations with firearms, explosives, and by burning the synagogue down.

If convicted, the maximum sentence is 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to 250,000.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/superseding-indictment-charges-man-making-threats-against-maryland-synagogue