Man accused of making death threats in Ramaswamy is charged with threatening Christie
A New Hampshire man accused of threatening to kill Vivek Ramaswamy and his supporters at a campaign event has been indicted by a federal grand jury with additional charges of threatening the lives of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie , another unnamed presidential candidate and other people, according to an indictment filed Wednesday.
The man, Tyler Anderson, 30, of Dover, now faces three counts of transmitting threats for sending death threats to three presidential candidates campaigning in New Hampshire, authorities say. The text messages were sent in three separate episodes in late November and early December. The latest set of messages, sent on December 8, was addressed to Mr Ramaswamy.
Karl Rickett, a spokesman for the Christie campaign, confirmed on Thursday that Mr Christie was targeted in the second episode, on December 6. The texts addressed to Mr. Christie were found on Mr. Anderson’s phone, according to an FBI affidavit. .
Mr. Anderson was arrested on Dec. 9 after federal agents tracked text messages threatening Mr. Ramaswamy at his phone and home addresses, the affidavit said. His phone was seized during the arrest and messages addressed to Mr Ramaswamy and Mr Christie were found on it. Firearms were also seized during Mr Anderson’s arrest.
In an interview with an FBI agent after his arrest, Mr. Anderson acknowledged sending threatening messages to Mr. Ramaswamy and other presidential candidates, the affidavit said. The messages sent to Mr. Christie’s campaign, photos of which were included in court documents, threatened to kill Mr. Christie and others at a campaign event in a “mass shooting.” Officials redacted information in the photos that would have identified Mr. Christie as the target.
The Christie campaign previously declined to say it was the target of the threats, but a campaign statement this month thanked law enforcement officials for “acting quickly to address these threats.”
Mr. Anderson was released on December 14 on the condition that he avoid contact with presidential candidates and their campaigns. His arraignment is scheduled for January 5.
In the first incident, on Nov. 22, Mr. Anderson sent a series of text messages in which he threatened to “impale” and “eviscerate” an unnamed presidential candidate, the indictment said.
Mr Anderson sent additional text messages on December 8 threatening to kill a third presidential candidate – later identified as Mr Ramaswamy – and participants at a campaign event planned in Portsmouth. federal prosecutors said. These text messages were sent in response to an automated campaign message and implied that the threat would be carried out with a firearm. The threats against Mr Christie were also sent in response to an automated campaign message.
A Ramaswamy campaign staffer reported the text messages to local police, and the FBI conducted the investigation that led to Mr. Anderson’s arrest.
Each of the three charges carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.