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Annapolis resident Justin Kuchta, 39, pleaded guilty this week to a federal charge for threatening to murder a United States Member of Commerce, officials announced following his irate rant last year.
US Attorney Erek Barron said that a Congressman’s district office in Texas reported in July last year that it received a threatening message through an event management website.
The threats were made targeting Sen. Ted Cruz, according to CNN.
According to the DOJ, the message read: “Thank you for the address!!! I’m coming to murder all of you Satanist f--kers!!! Especially the chuckle-f--k Zodiak (sic) Killer (Congress member)!!
“That fat fake f--ker ass will be the first on the gallows!! SEE ALL OF YOU F--CKERS REALLY SOON!!! With my fresh militia and weapons!!! Thanks for the info f--kers!!”
The investigation into the message by federal officials found that the IP address was linked to a private high-speed network in Maryland, and network records found that it originated from a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and computer assigned to Kuchta, prosecutors said.
Though Kuchta initially denied sending the message, prosecutors say, he later admitted to sending the initial threat from his "government-issued computer,” according to the CNN report.
The Daily Record reported that Kuchta was a former employee of the Office of the Comptroller in Maryland.
“You have the right to your own opinions, but not the right to threaten a federal official’s life,” Barron stated. “We’ll continue prosecuting these threats to the fullest extent of the law.”
Kuchta faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for interstate communication containing a threat to injure when he is sentenced in April.
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