N.H. man indicted after allegedly sending death threats to presidential candidates

A New Hampshire man was indicted after sending threatening text messages to several presidential candidates, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

The DOJ charged 30-year-old Tyler Anderson, of Dover, with three counts of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another.

In the first series of texts, sent in late November, Anderson threatened to “impale” and “disembowel” one candidate. On Dec. 6, Anderson threatened a second candidate, writing in texts that he would “blow” the “head off” of the candidate and conduct a “mass shooting.” Finally, 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 scheduled campaign event.

The threats follow a mass shooting in nearby Maine in late October that left 18 people dead.

According to the press release, Anderson was arrested on Dec. 9 and made an initial appearance in federal court Dec. 11. He was released with conditions on Dec. 14. He faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge.

The Attorney General’s office did not name the three presidential candidates in its press release and it did not identify an attorney for Anderson.

“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,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We will not tolerate illegal threats of violence directed at public officials or those seeking public office.”