Man charged with sending threatening email

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Sean Michael Fujiwara, 43, of Kailua, Hawaii, was charged on July 28, 2020 by federal complaint with sending threatening interstate communications.  Fujiwara has been remanded to federal custody pending further proceedings.

U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the District of Hawaii announced that the complaint alleges that Fujiwara sent emails at least 21 times between December 8, 2017 and July 27, 2020 that were threatening in nature or contained references to foreign terrorist organizations, or both.  Among the alleged messages were a February 25, 2018 email to a personal Hawaii Department of Education email address threatening to shoot and kill teachers and students, a June 8, 2020 email to a law enforcement agency threatening to plant a bomb at a specified police station, and multiple emails proclaiming Fujiwara’s allegiance to ISIS.

“Words have meaning, and the law enforcement community in Hawaii will not tolerate the use of electronic communications to send threatening words to victims in our communities.  We will thoroughly investigate and prosecute those whose conduct jeopardizes public safety, particularly during times when many in our communities have enough to worry about,” said U.S. Attorney Price.

“The FBI takes these types of threats very serious especially when they reference schools and the killing of students and teachers.  Many times these threats are more than words and are actually a precursor to violence.  The men and women of the FBI work tirelessly to identify the author of such threats to ensure they are stopped before they act out.  This arrest is an example of the FBI’s dedication to justice and our goal of making Hawaii a safer place for all,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda.

The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark.