Source: Office of United States Attorneys
HOUSTON – A federal judge has returned a guilty verdict against a local man for making threats to injure a U.S. senator, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal, after careful deliberation, found Issac Ambe Nformangum, 24, guilty on one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure following a two-hour stipulated bench trial.
Nformangum called the senator’s office from his cellular phone and left a lengthy threatening message. He stated the senator would be found and killed.
The court heard evidence that Nformangum made a direct threat intended for the senator in which he disregarded the extent of the seriousness of his words.
“Nformangum called the office of a U.S. senator and made threatening comments.” said Hamdani. “It was a frightening call. This is never acceptable, and the Southern District of Texas will always seek to hold actors like Nformangum to account for their actions, to deter others like him, to protect the rule of law and to ensure a safe environment for all public servants. Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that dedication.”
“You can criticize, refute and disagree with someone’s political view or vote, but you don’t get to threaten an elected official with violence just because you don’t like their political platform,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston field office. “Those actions are not protected under the Constitution. On the contrary, as Mr. Nformangum found out, they’re a crime.”
Judge Rosenthal has set sentencing for Oct. 2. At that time, Nformangum faces up five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI-Houston conducted the investigation with assistance from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Imperato and Craig M. Feazel are prosecuting the case.