California Man Arrested For Threatening Congressman's Family - Justice Department

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) A California man has been charged with sending threatening text messages to family members of a congressman from New York State, the US Department of Justice said in a press release on Tuesday.

"Robert Lemke was arrested today based on a criminal Complaint filed in Manhattan Federal court charging [him] with making threatening interstate communications," the release said. "Lemke allegedly sent threatening text messages on January 6, 2021 to family members of a New York City-based US congressman."

The Justice Department said Lemke also threatened a New York City-based family member of a journalist. He was arrested in Bay Point, California and will be presented on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

"Your brother is putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words. We are armed and near by your house. You had better have a word with him. We are not far from his either. Already spoke to [the congressman's son] and know where his kids are," Lemke texted, according to the Justice Department.

Lemke was dissatisfied with the results of the 2020 US presidential election and subsequent statements about the election made by the congressman and journalist and then allegedly threatened to harm those individuals' families, Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss said in the release.