United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida
04/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/21/2026 11:07
Tampa Man Indicted for Interstate Communication of Threats to Injure
Tampa, Florida - Alexander Justin McAfee (34, Tampa) has been charged by indictment with two counts of interstate communication of a threat to injure. If convicted, McAfee faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count. McAfee made his initial appearance in federal court on April 17, 2026, and has been detained pending trial. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment and information presented during court proceedings, on April 8, 2026, McAfee published a video threatening FBI Director Kash Patel. The following day, McAfee published a video threatening Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in partnership with the Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Muriel Moore.
United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida published this content on April 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 21, 2026 at 17:07 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]