Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Sending Death Threats

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and  James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that JEREMY JOSEPH pled guilty to two counts of sending interstate threats to injure or kill two former co-workers.  JOSEPH was indicted on this case on February 6, 2023, and arrested in Sarnia, Canada.  JOSEPH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken only two days after his trial on the charges had begun.  Sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2024, before Judge Oetken. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Jeremy Joseph terrified two former co-workers from a decade prior by repeatedly emailing them hateful, violent, and antisemitic death threats.  No individual deserves to be at the receiving end of hateful threats or to be targeted because of their religion.  This Office is committed to aggressively prosecuting hate crimes of all kinds and seeking justice for the victims of these offensive and harmful acts.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Jeremy Joseph tracked down personal information on people he worked with years ago and threatened them with bombs and firearms.  This along with his details of how he planned to kill the victims and their families was terrifying.  Now he will answer to the judicial system for his actions.”

According to Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:

From in or about December 2022 through at least in or about January 2023, JOSEPH sent emails with antisemitic death threats to two former colleagues (the “Victims”) with whom JOSEPH had worked more than a decade ago.  The emails detailed how JOSEPH planned to murder his Victims and included photographs of pipe bombs, ammunition, and a firearm.  The emails also included personal information about the Victims and their families. 

JOSEPH’s threats toward the Victims were part of a larger pattern of death threats sent to various other individuals from JOSEPH’s life, as well as politicians, judges, and prosecutors.  The targets of his threats spanned multiple countries and the U.S.  In these communications, JOSEPH consistently used violent and threatening language that targeted Jewish people. 

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JOSEPH, 41, of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to two counts of sending interstate threats to injure or kill another person, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. 

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie Bagliebter and Diarra Guthrie, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Isabel Loftus, are in charge of the prosecution.