A Texas man who made repeated death threats against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) was sentenced Monday to nearly three years in prison.
Brian Michael Gauherty of Houston Sentenced According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Gauhati faces 33 months in federal prison for making several phone calls threatening to kill Waters in 2022. Gauhati was also fined $10,000.
In April 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Gauhati for making threatening phone calls to Waters the previous year.
Gauhati is Charged According to an April 2023 press release, the suspect faces “four counts of making threats in interstate communications and four counts of making threats against a United States official.”
“Threats to harm or kill public officials are antithetical to our nation’s values and should never, ever be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “My office and the entire Department of Justice will continue to fight against threats against public officials and other attempts to undermine our democracy.”
According to a press release, Gauhati pleaded guilty in January to “one count of threatening a United States official.”
According to the press release, Gauhati’s plea agreement “admitted” that he made “assault and death” threats “on four occasions between August and November 2022” against the California congresswoman with the intent to obstruct, interfere with or intimidate her while she was “engaged” in the performance of her duties.
Gauhati reportedly left a voicemail at Waters’ office in August 2022 in which he threatened to “put a hat between her eyes,” “stomp on her,” and “cut her.” [her] According to a press release, the illness was a “sore throat.”
The Texas man also reportedly threatened Waters, telling her she “should move out” because “he and his associates are in the ‘area’ and have made a ‘contract’ with her life,” according to the press release.
Even after being contacted by law enforcement officials and “warned to cease involvement,” Gauhati continued to send Waters more threatening voicemails.
“Authorities contacted Gauhati and warned him to end the relationship in October 2022, but he continued to make violent threats weeks later,” the press release noted. “In November 2022, Gauhati left two more voicemails for Waters, telling Waters that he was ‘done.’ [expletive] He reported the threat to police, stating, “This is not a threat. This is… a promise.”
“He also met Waters ‘on the street’ and [her] “Putting on his face,” and again he and his “comrades” [her]…Get out.’ He finally warned me, ‘You’d better watch your back,'” the report concluded.
