On December 13, U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced Jeremy James Joseph, 42, of Houston, to 16 years in federal prison for transmitting threats in interstate commerce, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced.
Joseph, who admitted to sending threatening emails over a span of two years, targeted multiple victims including judges, lawyers, and court personnel within the Harris County judicial system. His emails contained explicit threats, including one where he said he would “rage gunfire and bombs on Harris County.” The threats also described in graphic detail the violence he intended to inflict.
In addition to threatening judicial figures, Joseph acknowledged sending similar messages to news outlets, universities, and hospitals both within and outside the Houston area. His messages included not just threats, but racial, homophobic, and ethnic slurs, amplifying the severity of his actions.
“Jeremy James Joseph’s despicable actions involved sending heinous threats through emails to judges, lawyers and public officials over two years, expressing intentions to commit unparalleled violence and chaos,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “My office’s commitment to protecting public officials from such unparalleled threats ensures the integrity and continuous functioning of our justice system, prevents fear and chaos from taking root in its operations, and keeps Mr. Joseph off the streets for the next 16 years.”
Joseph was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following his prison term.