Extradited from Texas, Jeremy Fistel is Accused of Sending “Increasingly Alarming” Emails and Voicemails to Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani
A Texas man was arraigned in Queens court on Thursday for allegedly making “terroristic threats” against New York City mayoral candidate and state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the charges against 44-year-old Jeremy Fistel, who faces up to 60 years in jail for the alleged threats.
According to WPIX in New York, Fistel is accused of sending a series of “increasingly alarming” voice messages and emails to Mamdani’s official state Assembly channels. The messages, sent between June and late July, contained hateful and violent comments targeting Mamdani, his family, and Muslims.
During the court proceedings, prosecutors read out some of the messages, which included multiple expletives and specific threats of violence.
“The defendant told the assemblyman to go back to Uganda before someone shoots him in the head, to keep an eye on his house and family, to watch his back every second until he leaves America,” District Attorney Katz said.
Katz emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating, “We take threats of violence against any office holder extremely seriously.”
Mamdani’s staff reported the messages to law enforcement in June. Fistel was arrested in September in his hometown of Plano, Texas, and was subsequently extradited to Queens.
Fistel’s defense attorney argued that the messages, while “unpleasant,” are protected as free speech. “Nobody is arguing what he did was proper… but it’s free speech,” the attorney stated in court.
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