A New Hampshire man has been indicted in connection with sending threatening text messages to three presidential candidates.
Tyler Anderson, 30, of Dover, was charged with three counts of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. Anderson was arrested on Dec. 9, and he made an initial appearance in federal court on Dec. 11. On Dec. 14, the court released him on conditions.
“We have seen an increase in threats of violence against public officials and those seeking public office across the country, and I have made clear that these types of illegal threats undermine the function of our democracy,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will not tolerate illegal threats of violence directed at public officials or those seeking public office.”
According to the charging documents, Anderson sent a series of threatening text messages to three separate presidential campaigns going back to November. On Nov. 22, Anderson threatened to “impale” and “disembowel” one candidate. On Dec. 6, Anderson threatened a second candidate in a series of text messages, including that he would “blow” the "head off" of the candidate and conduct a “mass shooting.” On Dec. 8, Anderson threatened via text message that he would “blow” the “brains out” of a third candidate and “kill everyone” who would attend a then-upcoming campaign event.
Anderson faces a maximum of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover Police Department and the Portsmouth Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau for the District of New Hampshire is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.