Maryland man charged after threatening to kill a member of Congress from Texas
US attorney: 'you have the right to your own opinions, but not the right to threaten a federal official’s life'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Maryland man has been charged with making an online threat to kill a member of Congress from Texas, according to a court filing unsealed Wednesday.
Justin Kuchta, 39, of Annapolis, is charged with one count of interstate communication containing a threat to injure, a felony punishable by a maximum of five years in prison.
Kuchta was expected to make his initial court appearance Wednesday in Baltimore after surrendering to authorities earlier in the day.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You have the right to your own opinions, but not the right to threaten a federal official’s life," U.S. Attorney Erek Barron said in a statement.
A man from Annapolis, Maryland, has been charged with threatening to kill a member of Congress from Texas.
A court filing does not name the member of Congress whom Kuchta is accused of threatening in a message that said the lawmaker "will be the first on the gallows." A staff member from the member's district office in Texas reported the threat to police in July.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Internet Protocol address used to send the message was registered to a private, high-speed network operated by the state of Maryland, according to a U.S. Capitol Police special agent's affidavit. When agents interviewed Kuchta at his Annapolis workplace, he admitted to sending the threatening message while he was working from home on his government-issued computer, the affidavit says.
The court filing does not identify Kuchta's government employer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FORMER DEMOCRATIC CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN TJ COX INDICTED FOR MONEY LAUNDERING AND FRAUD
David Fischer, an attorney for Kuchta, declined to comment.