United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina
05/22/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/22/2026 10:14
EDNC U.S. Attorney’s Office Threat Prosecutions Since 2022
RALEIGH, N.C.- The EDNC U.S. Attorney's Office continues to protect the public by prosecuting criminal threats across the district. Since 2022, this Office has successfully prosecuted numerous threat-related cases. These prosecutions have involved a range of targeted victims, from individuals, federal employees, and elected officials to public institutions. These cases involve threats intended to intimidate, disrupt government operations, or make victims fear for their safety.
As a result of these enforcement efforts, convicted defendants have received substantial sentences in federal court. These outcomes underscore the seriousness with which the justice system treats threats of violence and the lasting impact such criminal behavior forces victims and the broader community to suffer.
|
Date |
Case Name |
Status |
Charge |
Prior Press Release |
|
| 1 | 12/22 |
Lydia Crouse 5:22-CR-00345 |
1 year and 1-day federal prison | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | |
| 2 | 4/25 |
Michael Ferr 5:25-CR-00036 |
2 years and 3 months federal prison |
18USC871(a), 879, and 115(a)(1)(A) Threaten to assault/murder immediate family member of U.S. official |
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/raleigh-man-sentenced-federal-prison-threatening-kill-potus-and-us-secret-service |
| 3 | 1/24 |
Robert Glauner 5:24-CR-00025 |
5 years federal prison | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/albuquerque-man-sentenced-threatening-and-stalking-raleigh-woman-he-met-online |
| 4 | 12/25 |
Blake Govea 5:25-CR-313 |
3 years supervised release | 18USC115(a)(1)(A) Threaten to assault /murder immediate family member of U.S. official | |
| 5 | 1/25 |
Edward Huffman 5:25-CR-00030-M |
6 months federal prison | 18USC875(a) Transmit demand/request for ransom/reward for kidnapped person | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/man-arrested-after-threats-hunt-down-corporate-executives-and-their-families |
| 6 | 11/25 |
Christopher Lancaster 5:23-CR-00036 |
1 year and 7 months federal prison | 18USC115(a)(1)(B) Threaten to assault or murder Federal official | |
| 7 | 12/22 |
Timothy Mann 5:23-CR-00014 |
3 years federal prison | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/man-sentenced-three-years-cyberstalking-after-months-harassment-and-violent-threats |
| 8 | 8/25 |
Ashley Moore 5:25-CR-00245 |
1 year & 1-month federal prison |
18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/woman-sentenced-year-jail-threats |
| 9 | 9/25 |
Zachary Newell 7:25-CR-00095 |
2 years federal prison | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/newport-man-sentenced-2-years-threatening-shoot-and-skin-black-preschoolers |
| 10 | 11/24 |
Matthew Woodruff 5:24-CR-00349 |
2 years & 6 months federal prison | 18USC875(a) Transmit demand/request for ransom/reward for kidnapped person | |
| 11 | 5/22 |
Carl Abernathey 7:22-CR-00065 |
3 years supervised release with location monitoring | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | |
| 12 | 7/23 |
Jason Evans 5:23-CR-00233 |
1 year and 6 months federal prison | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | |
| 13 | 7/23 |
Steven Tomes 5:23-CR-00274 |
5 years' probation | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | |
| 14 | 10/24 |
Jesse Metcalf 5:24-CR-00293 |
Charged, Pending Trial July 2026 | 18USC875(c) Transmit threat in interstate commerce | |
| 15 | 4/26 |
Eric Byrd 5:26-CR-69 |
Charged, Pending Arraignment | 18USC875(a) Transmit demand/request for ransom/reward for kidnapped person | |
| 16 | 4/26 |
James Comey 4:26-CR-00016 |
Charged, Pending Arraignment |
18USC871 Threats against President |
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-former-fbi-director-james-comey-threats-harm-president-trump |
| 17 | 4/26 |
Christopher Hill 7:23-CR-00056 |
Charged, Pending Arraignment |
18USC871 Threats against President |
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/wilmington-man-indicted-threatening-president-trump |
| 18 | 4/26 |
Daniel McSwain 5:26-MJ-01682 |
Charged, Pending Arraignment |
18USC871 Threats against President |
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/south-carolina-man-arrested-threatening-kill-president |
| 19 | 4/26 |
Richard Warren 7:26-CR-00026 |
Charged, Pending Arraignment | 18USC115(a)(1)(B) Threaten to assault or murder Federal official | |
| 20 | 7/24 | Joshua Justice | Charged, pending evaluation |
18USC115 Threaten to assault or murder Federal official |
These prosecutions reflect the Office's ongoing commitment to public safety, ensuring that individuals who make threats-whether in person, online, or through other means-are held accountable under federal law. Our Office works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these cases.
United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina published this content on May 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 22, 2026 at 16:14 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]